Dear Mike
I appreciate your sending letter for NMEA members for children's fund in my community.
Yoshi
Yoshi,
Don't know if you can read my long note. But I sent this to our NMEA membership. Craig and I have also been in touch. We will find ways to help you and community from afar. I particularly want to try to help the local community and friends/colleuges we met at HEI River College. I hope and pray they are fine. Mike
Dear Colleagues:
All of you have seen the devastation of the tsunami that hit northern Japan. Dr. Tsuyoshi Sasaki, a friend, colleague and NMEA member was deeply affected. Many of you have met him at NMEA conferences. He has been at the last 3-4 conferences, has brought students to our conferences, and isn active in our international committee. Although he teaches at Tokyo University of Marine Sciences and Technology (TUMSAT), his home where his wife and children reside is in the coastal communtiy of Otsuchi, northern Japan. This is also near port of Miyako, where the dramatic videos tossing cars around like toys. Karen and I were hosted there in 2009, and involved in several presentations and student events. It is a surreal scene in what has occurred to the coastal communities of coastal Japan.
THE GOOD NEWS is Dr. Sasaki and family are fine. He was able to travel from Tokyo and find his wife and children several days after the tsunami hit. It must have been a harowing experience. He has been in contact with Craig Strang who he spent much time with at Lawrence Hall of Science. I also have been in contact as we have a cooperative agreement with TUMSAT, and working to set up educational programs with him.
We are exploring options to help Dr. Sasaki and his community. I know a number of relief fund sites have been set up in various universities and cities. When I recently asked Dr. Sasaki what is neded most, he replied that we need to help the children. Since schools are very prepared with active tsumani drills, they were able to evacuate quickly. Dr. Sasaki told us his children heard sirens, evaluated to higher ground, and that the tsunami hit the school 10 minutes later. Parents not so fortunate, so many children in the area are now without parents or homes.
One site where people could donate immediate to is Save the Children - Japan at http://www.savethechildren.org
They have a special site to help the Japanese children and families.
We will also explore ways of providing directl assisance to Dr. Sasaki, colleagues and friends in the devastated area. I know your thoughts and prayers go to all those in Japan affected by these events. Thanks!
Mike Spranger
Associate Dean for Environment and Natural Resources
University of Florida/IFAS Extension
Associate Director for Extension and Education
Florida Sea Grant Program
http://www.flseagrant.org
I appreciate your sending letter for NMEA members for children's fund in my community.
Yoshi
Yoshi,
Don't know if you can read my long note. But I sent this to our NMEA membership. Craig and I have also been in touch. We will find ways to help you and community from afar. I particularly want to try to help the local community and friends/colleuges we met at HEI River College. I hope and pray they are fine. Mike
Dear Colleagues:
All of you have seen the devastation of the tsunami that hit northern Japan. Dr. Tsuyoshi Sasaki, a friend, colleague and NMEA member was deeply affected. Many of you have met him at NMEA conferences. He has been at the last 3-4 conferences, has brought students to our conferences, and isn active in our international committee. Although he teaches at Tokyo University of Marine Sciences and Technology (TUMSAT), his home where his wife and children reside is in the coastal communtiy of Otsuchi, northern Japan. This is also near port of Miyako, where the dramatic videos tossing cars around like toys. Karen and I were hosted there in 2009, and involved in several presentations and student events. It is a surreal scene in what has occurred to the coastal communities of coastal Japan.
THE GOOD NEWS is Dr. Sasaki and family are fine. He was able to travel from Tokyo and find his wife and children several days after the tsunami hit. It must have been a harowing experience. He has been in contact with Craig Strang who he spent much time with at Lawrence Hall of Science. I also have been in contact as we have a cooperative agreement with TUMSAT, and working to set up educational programs with him.
We are exploring options to help Dr. Sasaki and his community. I know a number of relief fund sites have been set up in various universities and cities. When I recently asked Dr. Sasaki what is neded most, he replied that we need to help the children. Since schools are very prepared with active tsumani drills, they were able to evacuate quickly. Dr. Sasaki told us his children heard sirens, evaluated to higher ground, and that the tsunami hit the school 10 minutes later. Parents not so fortunate, so many children in the area are now without parents or homes.
One site where people could donate immediate to is Save the Children - Japan at http://www.savethechildren.org
They have a special site to help the Japanese children and families.
We will also explore ways of providing directl assisance to Dr. Sasaki, colleagues and friends in the devastated area. I know your thoughts and prayers go to all those in Japan affected by these events. Thanks!
Mike Spranger
Associate Dean for Environment and Natural Resources
University of Florida/IFAS Extension
Associate Director for Extension and Education
Florida Sea Grant Program
http://www.flseagrant.org