The task of the Disaster Relief Fund, a program of the Agency for Donations & Grants, is to raise funds, and gather relief goods and supplies from donors in the United States in order to help victims in areas devastated by disasters such as earthquakes, tsunami, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.
In response to the physical, spirit and land devastating Earthquake and the subsequent home and life destroying Tsunami that struck the Tohoku region of Japan on March 11, 2011, the Shin Koyamada Foundation established the Japan Emergency Relief Fund of America (JERFA), a special unit to bring hope and help to the victims by gathering relief goods and supplies, and donations in the United States.
On May 20th, 2011, as part of their ongoing efforts to bring relief to the areas hit hard by these natural disasters, JERFA partnered with Preco and EM & Co to present the JERFA Fashion Show. Hollywood actors and celebrities, and fashion designers and models united to raise funds so JERFA could continue to ship 20-foot containers of emergency medical supplies, daily non-food living items (diapers, shoes, school supplies, etc.) and toys for children to get them through these difficult times.
The Fashion Show featured Japanese guests dressed in kimono and Japanese traditional outfits, five authentically garbed Shaolin kung fu monks, and Japanese children modeling t-shirts created by the kids to help Japan. Celebrities such as Olympic Boxing Champion Wayne “Pocket Rocket” McCullough, Am Radio’s lead singer Kevin Ridel, White Power Ranger Jessica Rey, TV stars Brendan Robinson from Pretty Little Liars and Isabella Cascarano (Flash Forward; Our Vows; Memorias de un soldado; 30,000 League Under the Sea), Cole and Dylan Sprouse from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody; the martial arts coordinator for Nickelodeon’s Avatar series Kisu, model/guitarist Frankie Clarke, Frankie B. creator/designer Daniella Clarke and Guns N’ Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke came out to support the event.
(Read the Press Release at: http://www.koyamada.org/media/press/2011/05-13.html)
Determined that 100% of all donations should be delivered to the quake/tsunami victims, the committee of the GDP was in direct contact with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Government of Japan, in which the committee received their assurances that all non-monetary donations and collected monetary funds would be equally distributed among the disaster areas.
At the end of May, 2011, the committee shipped their first 20-foot container to Japan that delivered much needed diapers, 950 quilts, stationary goods, clothing, letters and messages, and bicycles, which at that moment were the most useful mode of transportation throughout the land torn areas.
| Donations successfully delivered to the victims of the Tohoku's Earthquake and Tsunami disaster in Japan |
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| Kanagawa Newspaper, Japan |
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A feature article about JERFA's first shipment of relief supplies arriving in Japan from the US appeared in the Kanagawa Newspaper (circulation of 230,000).
On May 27th, 2011, Shin Koyamada joined the Japan Relief Concert organized by Stickam.com, which is the website devoted to live-streaming video, featuring both professional and user-generated content with 9 million registered users on behalf of the SKF's Global Donation Committee.
On July 9th, 2011, under their respective N.P.O. banners, The Seiko Lee Project and the Global Donation Committee’s JERFA initiative, Lee and Koyamada dubbed their joint relief concert Waves of Healing from Los Angeles as a metaphor that although we can’t control the ocean’s waves we can create our own waves to balance the helplessness of our losses with humankind victories. The event was held at the Japanese American Community and Culture Center in Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles.
(Read the press release at: http://www.koyamada.org/media/press/2011/07-09.html)
On July 21st, 2011, the committee partnered with the organic jewelry company Preco, with designers Diana Irvin and Marilyn Ligon to sparkle Huntsville, Alabama with a one-of-a-kind Fashion Show Fundraiser for the Alabama tornado victims and Japanese tsunami sufferers at the new Westin Hotel in Huntsville, Alabama. (Read the Press Release: http://www.koyamada.org/media/press/2011/07-21.html)
To date, on behalf of the American donors who have graciously and unselfishly given of themselves during their own times of economic strife and hardship, JERFA distributed $25,000.00 to the current rebuilding efforts of three affected prefectures; the Fukushima, Ibaraki and Miyagi Prefectures. The committee, SKF and JERFA received official letters of thanks and gratitude from Governor Yuhie Sato of Fukushima Prefecture and Governor Yoshihiro Murai of Miyagi Prefecture.
 Governor Sato passionately shared, “On behalf of all the residents of Fukushima Prefecture, I would like to express my gratitude for your warm encouragement with monetary donations to us after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
“It may take a long time for the recovery and reconstruction of Fukushima Prefecture, but I am determined to steadily and persistently address the construction of a “New Fukushima.” In this regard, I would like to ask for your continued support to us.”
Governor Murai echoed with equal zeal, “I would like to extend to you my heartfelt appreciation for your generous donations to the Great East Japan Earthquake. I will utilize the funds effectively to rebuild Miyagi Prefecture.” (Read the article at: http://koyamada.org/news/20111005/).
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