Your Chamber was one of 17 community partners who joined City Council to successfully kick-off fundraising efforts to help San Antonio's sister city of Kumamoto, Japan last week. Kumamoto was recently hit by multiple earthquakes that resulted in devastating infrastructure damage and the loss of 49 lives with thousands injured. This natural disaster led to the community coming together to raise funds to help San Antonio's sister city in its time of need.
"It is heartbreaking what happened to Kumamoto," said Mayor Ivy R. Taylor. "But the warm and passionate response from many of our community partners who want to help our sister city is a testament to the bond that has united our two cities for almost 30 years."
Led by the Japan-America Society of San Antonio (JASSA), funds will be used to help the victims of the earthquake, rebuild Kumamoto's infrastructure and rebuild the Kumamoto Castle, a landmark that has relevance to our sister city akin to the Alamo in San Antonio.
The first major contributor to this effort was also announced; Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMTX), who donated $25,000 to the cause. "As a proud member of the San Antonio community, Toyota is committed to the people of Kumamoto. It is important that we show our sister city love and support from their San Antonio family as they rebuild," said TMMTX Vice President of Administration David Crouch.
Other community partners that are helping with these fundraising efforts include: the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, Musical Bridges Around the World, the Alamo Asian American Chamber of Commerce (AAACC), the University of the Incarnate Word, the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, the San Antonio Botanical Garden, the San Antonio River Authority, the East Asia Institute - University of Texas at San Antonio, the Bexar County Medical Society, the Naoko Shirane Memorial, the San Antonio Japanese Companies Association, Japanese Supplementary School of San Antonio, Our Lady of the Lake University and URBAN-15.
Former Chamber Chairman Henry Cisneros, who signed the sister city agreement with Kumamoto in 1987 as San Antonio Mayor, expressed his support, "Our Sister City with Kumamoto was the first step in a long-term international strategy,” Cisneros said. “Given the continuing blessings this relationship has bestowed upon our community, we wholeheartedly support the Kumamoto Earthquake Relief Fund recalling the words of Kumamoto Mayor Tajiri, 'When you drink the water, remember who dug the well.' "
To donate to this effort, visit JASSA's website at www.jas-sa.org.
