By ROBERT LINNEHAN
With the widespread devastation in Japan, Bill Brown made a few phone calls over the weekend to see if the several students that travelled to Haddonfield this past summer were safe after the nation was rocked by an earthquake and a deadly tsunami.
Brown contacted the vice-principal of the Kasukabe Girls High School from Saitama, Japan, who said that most of the students who came to Haddonfield over the summer are safe. Several, Brown said, were forced to spend the night in the school after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake shook Japan to its core Friday, March 11 at 2 p.m. Japan local time.
Saitama is inland so it was not reached by the tsunamis that followed, Brown said.
Fifteen students and two chaperones visited Haddonfield on July 24 and spent almost two weeks in the borough. They spent their time with host families, Brown said, many of whom have contacted him to see if anything can be down for the students.
“They all seem to be safe. I contacted the vice principal and he told me that some of the kids had to spend the night at the school because transportation was down for a few of the days,” Brown said.
Several Haddonfield Memorial High School students have already contacted Brown to see if anything could be arranged to be done of the nation. Brown said he will be meeting with the Haddonfield Japan Exchange committee to form a plan for future aid.
Brown said he will also meet with the students who are scheduled to visit Japan this summer. Several of these students contacted him as well and wanted to learn what they can do to help.
He’s also reached out to Dennis Morikawa, honorary consul general in Philadelphia, for a list of approved relief programs and companies for people in the area to donate too.
“It’s a shame because there are already so many scams out there for relief,” Brown said.
The Japanese American Association out of New York City is an approved organization that people can donate too right away if they feel the need, Brown said.
Please come back to The Sun later in the week to see Brown’s next project with Haddonfield high school students and how you can help Japan.
