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Tuesday 30 August 2011

石巻こどもまつり 9月18日 Ishinomaki kids fair


(scroll down for English translation)

『我孫子今井タクシー』さんより格安で大型車両+運転手2名をご支援していただき、
freetohoku我孫子寿会のスタッフ15名、『石巻こどもまつり』に向かいます。

石巻市内の小学校21校、幼稚園7校へ電話連絡し、ポスターを掲示板へ貼って頂けることとなりました。『保健室のあねさんチーム』、『石巻ママコミュ』、ツイッターよりお申し出いただいた方々等、いろいろな方々のお力添えをいただき、ポスターが石巻で貼られ、広く宣伝される事を祈っています。

アイルランドの『Ballon National School』からいただいた大切な支援金¥62,600で大型トランポリンを2台購入しました。「空高く飛びたい」と言っている子供たちにいいプレゼントになるでしょう。

『ホテルグリーンプラザ』さんよりビンゴ大会の一等賞として、ホテルグリーンプラザ軽井沢の一泊2食付き家族券をご支援いただきました。素晴らしいご支援感謝です。

ダメもとで連絡した多くのお菓子、駄菓子企業の中で、『明治製菓』さんからマーブルチョコ120個とポポロン120個、『カルビー』さんからは、かっぱえびせん120個とサッポロポテトバーベQ味120個のご支援を頂ける事になりました。驚きと感謝でいっぱいです!

『柏オールソウルズ ゴスペルクワイア』主催のゴスペルコンサートの募金¥36,500をご支援いただきました。石巻で再開された『割烹竹ふじ』さんにておにぎり、唐揚げ、焼きそばを100人分注文しました。

埼玉県と佐賀県からもfreetohokuを応援していただいている方々から、おもちゃ、お菓子等愛情がたくさん詰まった箱を頂きました。思わず涙が出てしまいました。

我孫子『なかむら歯科』さんからも毎回たくさんご支援いただいています。今回の大型車両レンタル代も半分ご支援いただき、発電機の手配やその他の物資もいろいろ準備して頂いております。感謝してもしきれません。

『ダンススタジオナガオカ』さんからは綿菓子機のご支援、アイスクリーム用の牛乳や生クリームや文具のご支援いただきました。いつもいつも助けてもらっています。

毎回の事ながら、我孫子・柏のママさんたちからぞくぞくとおもちゃ、お菓子、文具等をいただいています。愛情いっぱいいっぱいのプレゼント本当にありがとう。

ツイッターで石巻地元の方々から情報いただき、石巻の曽波ノ神屋さんで氷を調達できることになりました!これでかき氷もアイスクリーム作りもバッチリ!

いつも支援イベントに全力を尽くしていらっしゃる『保健室のあねさん』たちも、かき氷やいなり寿司やフリーマーケット等いろいろ考えて頂いてます。心強い。

石巻地元のパパさんが、綿菓子機の担当を引き受けてくれました。真心こもった綿菓子ができることでしょうね。


子どもが笑顔で元気だと大人もきっと元気になる。そしてそれが復興へとつながると信じています。一緒に頑張りましょう。

たくさんの子どもたちに会えますように!

The story so far...

Abiko Imai Taxi is supporting us with a vehicle and two drivers at a discounted price to transport 15 volunteers from Abiko for the Free Tohuku kids' fair in Ishinomaki.

We contacted 21 primary schools and seven kindergartens to put up posters for the fair.

Volunteer school nurses in the Ishinomaki area, mothers and tweeters have offered to put posters around the city.

We received ¥62,600 from Ballon National School in Ireland and used it to buy two trampolines. It will be a nice present for kids who said they wanted to jump up high.

Hotel Green Plaza has offered one night with two meals for a family of four at their Karuizawa resort hotel as a bingo competition prize. How wonderful.

I didn't expect any response, but I contacted many sweet companies, then Meiji offered 120 Marble chocolates and 120 Poporom sweeties. Calbee is giving 120 kappa ebi-sen crackers and 120 Sapporro Potato BBQ crisps. I'm suprised and gratified.

Kashiwa All Souls Gospel Chior raised ¥36,500 from a concert and donated it to us. With this we ordered 100 rice balls, fried chicken and yaki soba noodles through Takefuji which reopened in Ishinomaki city.

We have received lots of toys and sweets with love from Saitama and Saga prefectures. I cried to open the box.

Abiko Nakamura dentists will pay half of our mini-bus rental fee and is paying for a portable generator, and many other relief goods. I can't say how much I appreciate this.

Dance Studio Nagaoka has rented a cotton candy machine for us, bought stationery, and milk and cream for making ice cream. They are always giving us help.

Also, lots of mothers from Abiko and Kashiwa have donated lots of toys, sweets and stationery. We're still receiving more every day. Thank you so much for these heartfelt gifts.

Ishinomaki residents told me that Sobano Kamiya has reopened, so we ordered ice from them to make snow cones and ice cream.

School nurses from the Ishinomaki area are providing food and a free jumble sale.

An Ishinomaki Daddy has offered to run the cotton candy machine, so we are happy to welcome him.

When kids smile and are full of beans, it rubs off on the adults too. That power leads to reconstructing the city. That's what we believe. Let's do the best we can together.

Our only wish is that loads of kids come along on the 18th of September.

Sunday 28 August 2011

Ishinomaki kids!


A quick note - Our Woman in Abiko is working very hard preparing for our children's fair in Ishinomaki on September 18th. More details to follow, but how do you like this picture that one of our neighbours, a professional manga artist, created (for free) to help promote the fair?

The character's headband reads "Ishinomaki kids".

Thank you, Morimoto-san!

Saturday 13 August 2011

Irish school donates to help Ishinomaki




We are delighted to announce that the staff and students at Ballon National School in County Carlow, Ireland, have raised ¥62,500 and donated it to Our Woman in Abiko to spend on relief efforts.

The whole point of Free Tohoku is to be an advocate for the survivors of the tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster. So it's pleasing when folk from the other side of the world want to add their voices and support for this effort.

It's particularly pleasing to know the money was raised by schoolchildren themselves to help people they have never met. Rest assured that every last penny will be spent on the children of Ishinomaki. We are planning to hold a children's fair on September 18th, and the money will come in very handy for buying toys, food and school supplies that will directly benefit children who have suffered so much.

And thanks to Colm and Tomomi McElwee who recommended us as a good home for the cash. We won't let you down. And we'll take lots of pictures so the children in Ireland can see what difference they have made to kids here.

Thank you.