raising fund for relief in Japan
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Today we joined a DIY fundraiser for Japan. We raised $2000!
All of the women made food. We had participants from Québec, Germany, the Punjab, Japan, China, Korea, the US, and even Richmond Hill. I was responsible for jobs like sweeping, putting up signs, putting up the tent-like shelters on the driveway, greeting people as they arrived, and a random variety of other odd things. I also took a break at one point and read stories to the many children (one little boy, after I'd finished reading 'The Gruffalo', told me, "Hmm. I'm used to hearing that story in German.")
Naturally, the weather completely failed to cooperate. Whereas Thursday's weather was so warm that I didn't need a jacket, today's weather was a mix of snow, driving snow, wet snow, freezing rain, hail, and odd sunny breaks. It was surprisingly gusty at times, too, and there were three occasions on which I was sure that our tents would blow away. I was also asked to help out after a fuse in the house went, but I was unfamiliar with the system: it wasn't a breaker box, but rather had a combination of the familiar old glass type of screw-in jobbies plus some sort of 80's looking box-like module fuse contraption with bits hanging off that our host (Michael) and I didn't want to toy with. But overall, it was a blast. The mood was good, and people came out in surprising numbers. We gave away home-made origami and sold extra foods that people supplied throughout the course of the day; they just turned up with stuff to sell.
The money is going directly to some contacts in Japan who will buy needed goods and supplies for a school in the affected region in Japan's north-east that's doubling as an evacuation centre that's turned into a refugee camp.
I had my first 「アフ会」experience today at the event; 'offkai' is a Japanese expression for meeting someone in person that you've only ever 'met' online. I met with "Eddie1960" from the Pentax board that I habit. It was also his first time meeting an online acquaintance, but it seemed natural enough. We yakked about camera gear of course.
Also in attendance was my cousin Kate, the actress. She and her boyfriend of ten years (!) showed up as we were starting to wrap up, and we chatted for an hour or so. It was the first time she'd met Mari and Kenny—the Ottawa contingent being the only ones that Mari and Kenny still haven't visited. Thanks, Kate, for the Easter Bunny plush toy for Kenny, he likes it!