College and Salvation Army partner to provide relief for earthquake victims

Okanagan College Media Release

After spending the last two weeks studying language and culture at the Vernon campus of Okanagan College, a group of nine Japanese study tour students have offered to courier emergency supplies with them when they return to their country later this week.

Staff from the College’s International Education department are appealing to the local community to assist with donations to purchase supplies to help provide relief to those affected by last week’s earthquake and tsunami.

With support from Okanagan College, the students from Japan’s Iwate University are working with the Vernon Salvation Army to collect funds to purchase emergency supplies that will accompany the group on their return to Japan.

The students are scheduled to return to Japan on Saturday and hope to do so with relief supplies that will be of use to those at home.

Iwate Prefecture is less than 200 kilometres north of Sendai, one of the areas hardest hit by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

“Our goal is to collect enough money to purchase emergency supplies to send each of the nine students back to Japan with a suitcase full of items such as emergency blankets, water purification tablets, dried food, flashlights, batteries and anything else that is non-perishable and of use during this crisis,” said Jennifer Kerr, program administrator for International Education at Okanagan College. “The Vernon Salvation Army has stepped forward to receive the cash donations for the Okanagan College Japanese Students Fund. We are hoping Vernon community members will see this as an opportunity to help people who are in desperate need.”

Anyone interested in contributing to the emergency relief fund can visit the Vernon Salvation Army with a cash donation or a cheque made out to the Vernon Salvation Amy, with a note that funds should be directed to the Okanagan College Japanese Students Fund.