MARQUETTE -- In response to the earthquake and Pacific tsunami that struck Japan last week, the City of Marquette has established a fund through the Marquette County Community Foundation to accept donations for disaster relief.
The MCCF will accept donations through September 30, 2011, and the check for all money donated will be hand-delivered to the people of Higashiomi, Marquette’s Sister City.
“The friendship between Higashiomi and Marquette is unwavering, and we stand ready to help them overcome this tragedy,” said Marquette Mayor John Kivela. “We’ve had an outpouring of citizens who want to support the relief effort, and the Community Foundation has been quick to help us establish this fund.”
Last fall, the City of Marquette’s Sister Cities Committees planned for a delegation of area residents to visit Higashiomi, officials said. The visit remains on schedule, according to Mayor Kivela.
In a letter to Higashiomi’s Mayor Hisao Nishizawa, Marquette’s Mayor Kivela expressed relief that Higashiomi has not suffered the same destruction seen in other coastal areas but offered “prayers (and) deep sympathy for those who have lost loved ones and who must struggle to rebuild their lives.”
Kivela remarked, “As the City of Higashiomi determines how to best respond to this tragedy, we hope they are strengthened by their longstanding bonds with the City of Marquette.”
Donations to the Marquette County Community Foundation can be sent to P.O. Box 37, Marquette, MI 49855; in the memo section of the check, a note should be made that it is for Japanese Disaster Relief.
If you're interesting in using another means to donate to the relief effort in Japan, check out this link. There's a long list of organizations that are helping Japan get through this crisis.
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