Southern Miss Makes $5,000 Donation to Aid Victims of Japanese Disasters

A month-long fundraising initiative at The University of Southern Mississippi to assist the earthquake/tsunami victims in Japan has yielded a substantial dividend.

On Wednesday, May 11 university representatives presented a check for $5,000 to Dr. Paul Y. Tashiro, president of The Japan America Society of Mississippi. Tashiro said the money would be sent immediately to the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville, Tenn., which will forward the contribution to relief agencies in Japan.

“Big companies are in a position to give a lot more money but when a university community comes together in this fashion it has a special meaning” said Tashiro, who toured the devastated areas not long after the earthquake/tsunami. “I know the people there who have been affected by this disaster need all the help they can get and anything is appreciated.”

Held during the month of April and designated as “Project Japan,” the university fundraiser included the sale of T-shirts; donations collected at Southern Miss baseball games; a “Jam for Japan” campus concert and proceeds collected from participating area restaurants.

Dr. David Duhon, chair of the Department of Management and International Business, said the university’s relationship with Kaetsu University in Tokyo, Japan played a major role in the Southern Miss fundraiser.

“They made a monetary contribution to us after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and that kind of compassion and care from the Japanese people really hit home,” said Duhon. “I’m thrilled that our campus came together and found a way to provide some assistance to Japan in this desperate time of need.”