Rye School District Donates to Japan Relief Efforts

In the days following the natural disasters in Japan, Rye responded to the effects of the earthquake and tsunami in a small-town way.

Residents reached out to their Japanese neighbors immediately. While many expatriate Japanese families anxiously awaited news about the safety of family members back home, others spearheaded efforts to identify donation opportunities. 

Caring committees, parent teacher organizations, school groups and clubs, school staff members, and individual residents began planning and executing fundraising efforts.

The Rye City School District has released information about individual school fundraising efforts ranging from bake sales, T-shirt sales, collection jars, and sales of food by Japanese moms. The efforts will benefit several different organizations and currently include the American Red Cross efforts in support of Japan and the Japan Society of America.

One Rye resident and mother of two local elementary school children, Vicki Brennan, expressed support for the Japanese moms at Milton Elementary School and how they rallied to the cause. 

To help raise money for relief efforts, every day after school the women have been selling Onigiri, or rice balls, a Japanese delicacy.

“They have really pulled together and worked hard,” Brennan said.

The same moms were in full force at Milton’s School Fair on Saturday, selling rice balls and teriyaki bowls. Popular Japanese sodas were for sale with 100 percent of the profits being donated. 

For many people in the Rye community, the tragedy is somewhat personal.

Fifth grade student Aidan Pasquale’s friends Keigo and Ryo attended Milton School before moving back to Japan. 

“Keigo lives pretty close to Tokyo.  He gave me a call and said that everything is alright.”

Fifth grader Cole Brennan said of the tragedy: “It’s bad. My friend lives in Japan.  Luckily it didn’t hit him, but it was close. His family is okay.” 

In an effort coordinated between the student council and peer mediators, collection jars were located throughout the fair. Two fifth grade students, Eduardo Malespin and Riku Matsubara were happy to volunteer for a shift.

“It makes me feel good to help,” Malespin said. 

Riku expressed that while his family was not affected, he empathizes with people in Japan.

 “I feel bad for them because we are Japanese. I think what the people in Rye are doing is very helpful.”

Betsy Gallagher, along with her daughter Emma, a fourth grader, said they felt the same way.

“Obviously we are very sympathetic. It’s just devastating. The Japanese families are such a strong part of our community. They have really pulled together with fundraising efforts and raising awareness among our children. As a bystander, we do what we can. It seems that right now Japan is mostly going to need money, so we are trying to support any efforts.” 

Daughter Emma echoed that sentiment.

“You want to help. If something like this happened to you, you would want help.”

In downtown Rye, the tragedy was on the minds of Rye Middle School students Billy Haynes and Mike Sundaram.

Billy’s friend Soya has grandparents near where the tsunami happened. 

“His grandparents were okay, but I’m not sure about the damage on their property."

Mike was concerned for the kids in his grade who were planning to move back home before the earthquake and tsunami.  

“It affected their families and their properties. They have had to postpone their plans to move back.”

At Oishinbo, a Harrison store where local Japanese families shop for products from home, its owner, Mr. Oishinbo, said many of his customers have been personally affected by the tragedy.

 “My customers are worried for their families and for all of Japan,” he said. 

For a Rye resident, whose parents live in Sendai, the period between Friday’s earthquake and the time when he finally was able to reach his parents by email on Monday seemed like an eternity.  

“On Monday I received an e-mail and [to] know they are safe,” said the man, who declined to give his name. “I thank all of my neighbors for their cards showing that they care.”   

The man said the most powerful expression of American relief efforts was “hearing the Pacific Fleet was coming to help Japan.  

“That was so moving. I said to myself, ‘Go America! Thank you!’”