Friday, April 1, 2011

The Japan Relief Fundraising Concert 3-27-11

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Dear Friends,
       On Sunday March 27,2011 we had the Japan Relief Fundraising Concert at Roslindale Congregational Church. On behalf of the organizing team, Thank you Roslindale Congregational Church for being there with so much Care and Compassion and allowing us to use your beautiful Church to hold this event!! The entire event would NOT have been possible without the complete SUPPORT of the Church members, ( many of whom were present and Contributed not only their Church, but also there donations of Monies for the cause as well as so much help with being present to help in any way we needed assistance), for this Fundraiser. The Church Board of Directors that gave the OK for this date in less than 1 day said yes to our request. Our thanks to the Church Minister, Branwen Cook who was with us to set up in the beginning until the end to help with the breakdown.


OUR MISSION: Was to make large amounts of Monies to be able to send to the people in Japan and to make sure there were NO Admistrative fee's being deducted from anyones donation. Again since we have gone through the Church to send the funds through, all monies will go directly to the people of Japan. We have requested that the funds be directed to assist in the many Medical Needs and the complete need for FOOD. These request's were based on FACTS given to us from our many wonderful Japanese Community members of Roslindale Open Mike, who either were in Japan during the time of the Earthquake/Tsunami events! Most have family, friends and homes  and or business's in Japan. The organizing team thanks all for this very important and direction imput!

This Japan Relief Fundraising Concert and now the Continuing and ongoing Fundraiser for the Relief of the people of Japan was the sole idea of my dear friend Junko Ogawa. Junko wanted to do something pro-active to help  the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by this enormous natural disaster. This Fundraiser came to fruition basically in 1 afternoon, the day before our  ROM on 3-14-11. It was my naive hope that we may somehow be able to get approval and announce this Fundrasier before the end of ROM that same evening! It was a task I was unsure was even possible for anything so quickly requested. By the end of ROM we had the answer from Roslindale Congregational Church and you all know the answer was a resounding YES!!!!! Thank you Junko Ogawa for making your dream come true for the People of Japan and for our Community of Artist's to  have a totally focused Venue for this very special event! The feeling of love and caring filled the Church and there was such a feeling I was sensing by all in the room that some type of magic and total accomplishment was happening!!!

In a very special way, I do believe that thanks to this Concert we can each feel we have in our own personal way have done something special for our brothers/sisters in Japan! The taskwill be long and arduous and will NOT be resolved for quite some time, Hence thanks to all YOUR request's, the Japan Relief Fundraiser will remain in place for as long as we continue to recieve emails, calls and just checks in the mail for Earthquake/Tsunami victims and families. I feel personally honored to have been asked to Host this event, I feel I have done a small part in paying tribute to those families in Japan that paid the ultimate sacrifice, by living, schooling, and doing all that we all do in our own Communities on a daily basis. We are also together making it for those still in the danger zones, knowing the food and medical needs are being addressed in part for what was done on a Junko Ogawa wish and a continued mission of helping simply because it is the humane and correct thing to do.

What was the Mission of that night will now continue to be in place for the weeks and months ahead is really a TRIBUTE to the guest's of honor at the Japan Relief Fundraising Concert and that was YOU, our Audience!  It has been you that has now left the door open for a continued incoming of donations from folks that were unable to make it for any reason. To all of you I say,
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                                                 募金、ありがとうございます。
                                              Thanks for your Donation

Donations are still being accepted and we would ask that you do pass this word along as we have only just begun! At this jotting we have realized: $3,141.00!

Please have any family, friends co-workers and also, (it was brought to my attention that some of you may even be employed by folks and corporations that will donate matching dollars to toward this incredible and needed cause)! Because we are going through the church all donations are tax deductable and if a receipt is needed please just let me know and I will make that happen!! Best way to contact me for this will be via my email which is: neal@roslindaleopenmike.org.

Please have all checks made out to: Ma-Conference UCC  in the Memo line: Japan Relief

All checks may be mailed to:       Japan Relief
                                          C/O Roslindale Congregational Church
                                                  25 Cummins Highway
                                                   Roslindale, Ma. 02131



Our many thanks go out to all the wonderful and talented artists that performed with all their heart for this event. So many people offered such compassionate songs, spoken words and glassy eyes while performing, all from their heart! Many folks were so inspired by what had happened in Japan they wrote   original and beautiful songs and spoken words put together just for this show, it's goals and Mission. Thank you to the Artist/Performers that played, many thanks as well to all those Artist's that had made themselves available to perform but due to time limitations for all on a work/schoolnight, we had decided we must keep our numbers down to a first come first serve basis!!!! All those Artist's that did NOT get to perform did offer to make themselves available for this cause should there be yet another Concert planned specific to this Cause! Thanks so much to all of our very caring & understanding Community of  friends!!

I would also like to thank Andrea Kulish for her wonderful literally on the spot graphic design for our Fundraiser logo! Andrea has been a dear friend, she came up with this logo for us nearly immediately and like so many of you, donated her time as well as a wonderful donation the the Fund! Thanks so much Andrea! I wish to thank so many people I know I will leave somebody out but not intentionally. Thanks to all of you that made this night possible simply by being with us, for bringing the many and varied foods for the sharing of your stories and for helping keep this non host kinda guy reminded that oops I missed someone in the order of performance that I printed out!!! I must thank King Yee for all his videography of this event which many of you have already seen, I must say I have not yet seen it King. To Chief Noda, so many thanks for so many different way of helping me stay on track. To Ken Porter, the guy that tries so hard to make me sound good, plan things out and took on the charge of our new lighting system!! To Mike Delaney for knwing the answers to my questions before I ask them!! Thanks to all of you that traveled so far for this cause!!! Our family Community of Artist's can and always do so much when we put our heads together for any cause, any time and it is so very much my honor to thank each and everyone of you for allowing me into your Community, I will (thankfully close), by saying,

Ohisashiburi, Duomo Arigatou Gozaimashita and Shalom!

Watashi wa itsumo koko ni imasu, Neal :)))