The annual Taste of Japan fundraising event for the Bloomington Sister City Organization was on Saturday, March 19, 2011, eight days after an earthquake and tsunami devastated coastal communities nearest to the epicenter. Bloomington’s sister city is Izumi, Japan and it was not directly affected. 160 people attended the Taste of Japan.
The evening included dinner, entertainment, raffles and a silent auction. The Minnesota Twins organizations donated an autographed baseball from its newest second baseman, Tsuyoshi Nishioko, for the silent auction. The money raised helps support transportation and activities for visiting Izumi delegates.
Two other sister cities were affected. The City of Riverside, CA, population 300,000, donated $100,000 to help disaster relief efforts in its sister city, Sedai, Japan. Also, Riverside County is donating an additional $50,000 from their Community Improvement Designation Fund as reported by the Desert Sun.
San Diego’s sister city is Yokohama, Japan. In 2007, San Diego was recovering from epic forest fires and Yokohama helped by donating money. The San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Society is accepting donations, which will be given to the City of Yokohama. Keneko Bishop, president of the society said they are doing everything they can to help.
Jefferson student, Charlie Kirihara, is selling t-shirts at school for $10 a piece to help raise money. Charlie also sold the Japan Aid shirts at the event. The public is welcome to buy shirts at Edition III until March 25, 2011 at 9424 Lyndale Ave. S.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed the sister city idea in 1956 to help avoid future conflicts through citizen diplomacy.
The Bloomington Sister City Organization is recommending people interested in helping with relief efforts in Japan to visit Japan American Society of Minnesota (JSAM) for a list of organizations accepting donations.
Websites
Japan American Society of Minnesota (JSAM)
Bloomington Sister City Organization
San Diego-Yokohama Sister City Society
