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Fine arts concert to benefit Japan

There’s more to providing relief than just fulfilling physical needs by raising money for emergency supplies.
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Tuning up for a benefit concert on Saturday are (back row from left): Maddy Erikson

There’s more to providing relief than just fulfilling physical needs by raising money for emergency supplies.

Members of the local Japanese community are raising funds for tsunami victim relief but they also want to do something extra.

“We want to cheer them up,” said Miyuki Matsuzawa, one of the organizers of “A Fine Arts Benefit Concert for Japan” which will be held at the Campbell River Baptist Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

In addition to the money raised, concert organizers hope to create a DVD of the concert to send to friends and relatives in the region of Japan stricken by the tsunami in March. Through the DVD, they hope to lift people’s spirits in the devastated region of the country. The effort to recover from the devastation continues and the Japanese community of Campbell River and the Comox Valley has organized four fundraising events over the last few weeks to help alleviate the situation.

“They are suffering over there,” Matsuzawa said.

For Saturday, an afternoon of music has been organized involving talented young Campbell River musicians and dancers.

The region’s Japanese community still has strong ties to their homeland and felt they needed to do something to help not just physically but on an emotional level as well.

“We still have a connection,” Matsuzawa said. All donations raised at the event on Saturday will go directly to the Canadian Red Cross.