Red Cross Guam unveils “Power of Humanity” theme for Sept. 27 Red Ball

The Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross announced that its 23rd annual Red Ball gala will be held on Sept. 27 at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

The chairman of this year’s Red Ball is Edward G. Untalan, the executive vice president and retail banking manager of First Hawaiian Bank. He announced that this year’s theme is “The Power of Humanity.”
Untalan said the theme reflects the lessons he learned from his father and his mentors — that compassion for others lies in the heart of man.

“It is in your heart that this humanity springs out for love and compassion for the other, and this is what the Red Cross is all about,” he said.

Chita A. Blaise, executive director of the Guam Chapter of the American Red Cross, said the gala is the organization’s largest and only fundraising opportunity, relying solely on community support to function.

“Ninety cents of every dollar raised goes back to the community,” she said at a June 27 press conference.

Untalan echoed Blaise’s statement, saying that “the Red Ball … is not a tradition, but is really the lifeline for Red Cross operations here.”

Those funds, Untalan said, go to members of the community who are vulnerable and in need of care.

“We remind ourselves that the most enduring impact that we can make in our lives is not measured in profits, but really helping people in need,” he said. “When disasters occur, that’s when [love and compassion] must come out.”

During the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar in 2023, more than 380 volunteers from the Red Cross outside of the Pacific region assisted in Guam’s recovery. According to figures from the Red Cross, $13.1 million was spent on behalf of Guam’s recovery, assisting approximately 27,700 individuals with financial and other support.

Marcos Fong, board chairman of the Guam Chapter, said since Typhoon Mawar the organization has been involved in “blue skies operations.”

“We’ve been assisting a lot of families with floods, with fires that don’t necessarily make big headlines like Typhoon Mawar did,” he said.

Fong emphasized the importance of the Red Ball in supporting assistance beyond large-scale disasters.

Ticket sales will begin soon, Blaise said. The fundraising goal this year is $222,000 — approximately $13,000 more than the previous year.

Seating is limited to the first 450 attendees, and tickets will cost $450 per individual which will include the evening’s five course dinner. mbj