BC Helps Japan

(SOURCE: Bellevue Patch)
(SOURCE: Bellevue Patch)

More than 10,000 lives have been lost and more than 17,000 people have lost their homes in Japan. Sadly, Japan is nowhere near recovering from the earthquakes and tsunami that hit the country.

Most recently, according to news reports, on Friday April 8, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake shook Japan while taking three lives. This incident is said to be the strongest aftershock since the initial earthquake. The Japanese reported that buildings in Tokyo shook for at least a minute. This earthquake occurred only 41 miles away from the hardest hit town, Sendai.

Japan now hangs on a thin string of hope and desperation. Thankfully, they have received foreign aid including help from Bellevue College’s The Jibsheet, Student Programs, and several other BC clubs with the help and support from students and faculty members.

On March 17, Japanese students in the photography Club have helped host BC’s “You Can Save Japan” to help raise funds and awareness on campus. The club itself held a “Paper Crane Fundraiser.” They sold paper cranes for a dollar each and accepted monetary donations. At the end of the day, they collected a total of $5,416.25. The money was sent to a university in Japan, along with 1000 cranes strung that had notes from BC students and faculty.

The Jibsheet has been very successful with its “Socks for Japan” project. This project has allowed The Jibsheet to partner with Jason Kelly, an American author living in Japan. He has set up sock distribution efforts in the hardest hit towns.

The Jibsheet has collected approximately more than 3,500 pairs of socks in the past three weeks. With the help from Nora Lance, the Associate Director of Student Programs, The Jibsheet has managed to create an extremely successful project.

Ana Palma-Gutierrez contributed to this article.