Prince George's Japanese community is rallying to support friends and loved ones living in Japan.
On March 11 a massive earthquake -- measured as high as nine on the Richter Scale -- convulsed the island nation, causing a massive tsunami which devastated Japan's northeast coast.
On Tuesday students and professors at UNBC launched a fundraising campaign for the Canadian Red Cross' Japan Earthquake and Pacific Fund. Volunteers asked residents to come out and fold paper cranes and make a donation to the fund
Japanese tradition holds that anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes will be blessed. Senbazuru, strings of colourful paper cranes, are often given as wedding presents and hung in the home for good luck.
In an e-mail, UNBC professor Ami Hagiwara said as of Thursday students had raised over $1,000 dollars and close to 1,000 cranes.
"After people found out [about] this fundraising, more people outside of the university also show[ed] great support," Hagiwara said. "... a Japanese-Canadian couple phoned me and offered more than 700 origami papers. That was very helpful because we were almost running out of paper. One Canadian lady brought a hundred paper cranes to donate."
Others have shown their support by bringing food and support for the volunteers.
A pair of city residents will be belly dancing to support the fundraising efforts next week and Tokiko Wilkening will be playing the koto - Japanese harp.
"The local people showed their support for us and this event would be one of the unforgettable memories for Japanese students in their Canadian student life," Hagiwara said. "The earthquake hit strongly in Japan, but it also brought us such a strong tie with the people in this university and the town. We started with such a negative incident, but it turned out to create the positive and powerful experience."
Donations to the Canadian Red Cross can be made at UNBC, College of New Caledonia, AiM-Hi, Days Inn Hotel, University Hospital of Northern B.C., Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society and the Sendo sushi restaurant.
Fundraising events will be taking place at Pine Centre Mall from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information about local fundraising events, go online to www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205871826090782.
