Since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan of March 11th, the people of our region have demonstrated tremendous generosity and support. This has taken the form of individual donations, large corporate gifts and initiatives by school groups, churches, civic organizations and more. In addition to events organized for the sole purpose of raising funds to support recovery in Japan, some organizations have utilized existing events as opportunities to heighten awareness and generate donations. One such event was Matsuri 2011, A Festival of Japan.
The Japan-American Society of Vermont invited the VT & NH Valley American Red Cross to join them for Matsuri 2011, a festival celebrating the art, culture and history of Japan. We were pleased to participate and to serve as a resource of information and an avenue for support of the Japanese people.
At a booth, run by staff and volunteers, we saw a steady stream of festival goers throughout the day. Pictured (from left to right) are Beth Bloomberg, Haley LaBonte, Max Levy and Alison Levy. For more on this event and the Red Cross participation, click http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=14330530 for WCAX's coverage or, for WPTZ's story, click http://www.wptz.com/news/27338250/detail.html.
