Baseball Project for Natural Disaster Survivors

Thank you for your generous support of our baseball project. Your contributions are helping us guarantee that every attendee has an opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the experience at no expense to them. With your help, we have been able to create new partners and increase the activities happening from the moment they arrive to the very end. We would also like to take this time to say a special thank you to MLB, who have recruited professional baseball players to assist the students, who have organized practices, games, and tours in historic baseball landmarks throughout Tokyo. This project would not have been possible without your support, and investment of resources and time. Thank you.

With less than two months until the program start date on July 31^st, plans have been solidified and the participant list has been finalized. This year we are proud to announce the Hebita School in Tohoku, Kyushu Gakuin from Kumamoto, and a local baseball club in Minato-ku have agreed to join the project. 50 participants and nine coaches will congregate in various locations around Tokyo. Among venues on the list are the American Embassy compound, Meji Jinguemae stadium, Tokyo Dome, and Japan Business Systems facilities. Participants will have opportunities to test out their new skills at the Meji Jinguemae stadium in the heart of Tokyo through friendly competition amongst each other and practice. Throughout the four day workshop, there will be amble time for the participants to expand their knowledge of baseball and visit historic locations throughout Japan.

We are also excited to announce that the American Embassy is thinking of becoming a major sponsor of this project. On the first day the members arrive, all of the participants will go directly to the embassy compound. There, they will be a part of a baseball clinic, a boot camp led by Marine volunteers, and finally enjoy a good old fashioned American barbeque. The participants will be coached by Warren Cromartie on the second day, who has experience playing baseball in Tokyo and in Canada. This opportunity to connect with the international community will be a rare and eye opening event for this children whom have never had the opportunity to leave Japan. Hands On Tokyo has also decided to include a volunteer portion to the project.

The baseball players will participate in an Arakawa River clean-up. Due to the car traffic throughout the area, trash has accumulated at an alarming rate along the river, which has devastated animal and plant ecosystems there. The simple gesture of cleaning will remind the children of what it means to take ownership of their area and homes.

Finally, the baseball players from Kumamoto and Tohoku have agreed to give presentations about what their hometowns and what life has been like since the earthquakes. Their candor about their experiences and their bravery in the face of adversity is by far the most moving element of this project. This dialogue will undoubtedly help the children to find ways to make meaningful changes in their communities and advocate for those in need.

 `Be the Wind of the Future` is the slogan Hands On Tokyo and the MLB have chosen to represent the baseball projects. To say our donors have been the wind in our sails would be an understatement. You have made this possible. We have planned and been able to bring communities together, but Hands On Tokyo would not have been able to reach so many children without you. We hope that you feel proud of being a part of this project. You are a part of the healing and creating a generation that will learn how to rebuild together.

 The project will be held from July 31^st to August 3^rd. We humbly ask you to consider donating one last time, and we thank you for your investment thus far. We look forward to updating you on this project again in the near future.

With gratitude,

Hands On Tokyo