City leaders announce fundraiser to benefit Japanese disaster victims

Jeff Morganteen, Staff Writer

STAMFORD – Gary Moriwaki, president of the Japanese American Association of New York, says it may take decades for Japan to fully rebuild from the destructive earthquake and tsunami two months ago.

The mad rush for immediate relief has given way to rebuilding efforts and nationwide anxiety over a nuclear meltdown at one of the reactors damaged by the earthquake, he said. International moral support has been just as beneficial as medical supplies for the stoic Japanese people, according to Moriwaki.

“The Japanese people really appreciate knowing that the people in the United States and all over the world are with them,” Moriwaki said.

Moriwaki, along with city officials and local developers on Wednesday morning announced a fundraiser to benefit victims of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake. The officials gathered in the lobby of the Government Center on Washington Boulevard to publicize the fundraiser, called Stamford on the Sound.

The fundraiser will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. June 18 at Commons Park at 101 Washington Blvd.

The first-ever Stamford on the Sound event was initially meant to benefit college scholarships, but Bobby Valentine, Stamford’s public safety director, stepped in after the Japanese disaster and shifted the event’s focus toward helping his surrogate country rebuild.

Valentine, the former manager of the New York Mets and celebrated baseball figure in Japan, said he still speaks with friends and former players trying to rebuild from the disasters that killed thousands and swept away entire neighborhoods. A shortstop on his 2005 Japan Series championship team lost his home, he said.

“Every day I’m getting phone calls or emails from people who are struggling or getting over a hump,” Valentine said.

Moriwaki said the Major League Baseball analyst for ESPN seems an appropriate spokesman for the fundraiser.

“He’s a god in Japan,” Moriwaki said, adding that Valentine has worked with the community association before.

Last month, Valentine teamed up with AmeriCares, an international aid organization headquartered in Stamford, to help airlift $525,000 worth of medicine and supplies to hospitals and evacuation centers in Sendai, Japan, a city in the center of the devastation.

Jack Condlin, president of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, said Valentine approached him three days after the earthquake to organize a benefit for victims.

“He said, `Look we need to turn this around,’ ” Condlin said.

The fundraiser will feature wine and food from leading New York City restaurants and a silent auction including sports memorabilia and weekend trips. Organizers include the Stamford Chamber of Commerce and Building and Land Technologies, the company behind the redevelopment of the South End.

Staff writer Jeff Morganteen can be reached at jeff.morganteen@scni.com or 203-964-2215.

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/City-leaders-announce-fundraiser-to-benefit-1385239.php#ixzz1Mofwsp4O

This video appeared on the Stamford Patch web site.

Share

Mayor Pavia, Bobby Valentine and other business and community leaders announced Wednesday a benefit in Stamford for Japenese tsunami and earthquake victims. Credit Chandra Johnson Greene

The wine tasting event will be held at the new Commons Park at Harbor Point; proceeds will go to the Japanese American Association of New York.

This Article appeared on The Daily Stamford (TDS) on Wednesday May 18th.  Please visit the original:

When Stamford celebrates the rebirth of the South End on June 18 at the First Annual Stamford on the Sound event, it will also aid in the rebuilding of Japan, thanks to Bobby Valentine. At this stage in his life Valentine describes himself as “a connector” who knows how to make things happen.

Bobby Valentine and Gary Moriwaki have worked together to provide aid to Japan. Photo Credit: Anthony Buzzeo

“I am lucky to know a lot of people and have done a lot of things,” Stamford’s director of Public Safety and Public Health said Wednesday at a press conference announcing the winetasting event.

One of Valentine’s acquaintances is Gary Moriwaki, President of the Japanese American Association of New York, who has people on the ground in Japan looking for supplies and helping the country re-build. Valentine, who is also an ESPN baseball analyst, says money raised at Stamford on the Sound will go directly to help those in need in Japan.

“It’s not like the money is going into a black hole somewhere,” Valentine joked.

Moriwaki was in Tokyo on March 11 when the earthquake and tsunami hit. He gave a slide show that depicted the devastation he and other JAA members saw. One photo shows a sign that says “Ganbaru,” a Japanese word meaning “stick it out.” Moriwaki said that’s the attitude of the Japanese people.

“If you saw how people responded with so much dignity and courage, you would know the country will be rebuilt,” Moriwaki said during the press conference.

Please Consider Donating Now!

Stamford on the Sound will take place on June 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Commons Park, 101 Washington Blvd. Tickets and more information can be found on the event’s website.

Have you done anything to help Japan? Will you attend Stamford on the Sound?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 18, 2011

Contact: Michelle Bach, 212-343-8917, mbach@brandbuildingnyc.com

Baseball Legend and Top Business Leaders Team Up to Host High-Profile Event to Benefit Japanese Disaster Relief

The City of Stamford, Bobby Valentine, Harbor Point, Building and Land Technology, and Stamford Chamber of Commerce rally support for the Japanese American Association of New York

Download a PDF of the Press Release

STAMFORD, CT - Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia announced today he is lending the full weight of his support to Stamford on the Sound, an event to benefit the Japanese American Association of New York and ultimately, the Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims. The fundraiser will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2011, at Harbor Point’s Commons Park, 101 Washington Boulevard, Stamford, Connecticut, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Joining the City of Stamford in organizing the event is Bobby Valentine, Stamford native and ESPN sports commentator; John Freeman, General Counsel, Harbor Point; Carl Kuehner, Chairman and CEO of Building and Land Technology (BLT), developer of Harbor Point; Jack Condlin, President of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce; and Gary Moriwaki, President of the Japanese American Association of New York.

“I am thrilled that the inaugural event at Commons Park simultaneously benefits such a tremendous and timely cause and offers an outstanding food and wine festival to Stamford’s rapidly growing South End,” states Mike Pavia, Mayor of Stamford. “I am grateful to Bobby Valentine, who is representing the City of Stamford at the event, to Harbor Point Development, BLT and to the Stamford Chamber of Commerce for this outstanding event, all the proceeds of which will aid the Japanese American Association’s relief efforts in Japan.”

Guests at Stamford on the Sound, an outdoor, tented event, will sample an array of the highest caliber of wines produced by the world’s most prestigious wineries. Attendees will also have the opportunity to savor a variety of culinary specialties from the area’s best-known eateries and catering facilities, as well as from leading restaurants in New York City. While enjoying the food and wine, attendees will have theopportunity to participate in a silent auction featuring an array of items including one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia to trips and get away weekends.

Bobby Valentine’s interest in helping the victims of the disaster is both professional and personal, having lived and managed the Chiba Motte Marines in Japan for almost seven years. “Japan needs all of the help we are able to provide,” enthuses Valentine. “Everyone involved in this effort is committed to making sure that the money raised directly assists the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. It will take time for Japan to recover, and it will require both short-term emergency assistance and long-term aid. I am committed to a sustained effort to assist Japan’s recovery effort.”

“We are very pleased to open Harbor Point’s newest park for this special event. We look forward to doing all that we can to help the people suffering in Japan,” said Carl Kuehner, Chairman and CEO ofBuilding and Land Technology. Kuehner continued, “Commons Park is a perfect venue for this important effort. People will be amazed by how much Harbor Point, the City, and the South End community have accomplished together in such a short time to create a ‘New Stamford’ on the sound.”

“I experienced firsthand the devastating effects of the earthquake and tsunami as well as the terrible suffering of the people when visiting Japan in March,” states Gary Moriwaki, President of the Japanese American Association of New York. “JAANY will be thoughtful and deliberate in determining the recipients of the funds raised at this event. As part of our due diligence, JAANY representatives will visit Japan to determine the organizations that are most efficient with their relief efforts and ensure that we make the biggest impact on the people who need it most,” he concluded.

Stamford Chamber of Commerce President, Jack Condlin concludes, “The Stamford Chamber has long recognized the global economy’s importance to the Stamford business community. Japan faces monumental challenges in rebuilding its economy and the Stamford Chamber is proud to partner with Japanese Association of America, Bobby Valentine, Harbor Point and BLT to help with Japanese relief efforts.”

Tickets for Stamford on the Sound may be purchased online at www.StamfordOnTheSound.com. Donations to Japanese Association of America can be made at relief.jaany.org. All contributions are tax deductible and 100% of money raised will go to Japanese relief agencies.

Download a PDF of the Press Release

###

Today’s (May 15) visit was to Minami Sanriku, including a small fishing village that was basically wiped out by the tsunami. The challenge for this village is figuring out its future in light of its long, secular decline even before the disaster. Many of the villagers are elderly, and there was only one child, who is photographed, seen during our stay.

The visit coincided with a lunch cookout by a couple of NPOs, which offered the women in the village a rare respite from daily chore. The story behind the decimated building in one of the photos is quite sad. The building, which was ironically the disaster response headquarter for Minami Sanriku, was holding an emergency meeting of town officials following the earthquake.

When the tsunami hit, 20 of the 30 officials in the meeting were swept away to their deaths, and the survivors lived only because they were able to climb up an antenna on the top of the building. As you can see, the region is hardly on its feet and will require support for years.