Tri4japan is the charity established to help the people of Kamaishi, a town in Japan devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami. All funds raised will be put to work to make a real difference to people’s lives.
We are proud to be supported by the biggest names in triathlon, the leading brands and publications – together we will make a difference.
Tri4Japan Now On Virgin Money Giving
We’re very pleased to tell you that Tri4Japan is now a registered charity with Virgin Money Giving – the UK-based not-for-profit online donation service.
You can find us on Virgin Money Giving at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1003846
You can now make a donation to Tri4Japan securely through Virgin Money Giving with the added advantage for UK taxpayers of having Gift Aid added to your donation. The UK Government allows charities to claim back tax on donations. This tax relief is called ‘Gift Aid’. Gift Aid is great because it means charities get extra money added to their donations at no extra cost to the donor. For every £1 donated, the charity currently receives £1.25 when you add Gift Aid. So a donation of £10 with Gift Aid means Tri4Japan get £12.50!
In addition to direct donations, we’re really pleased to now be able to offer our supporters the fundraising resources provided by Virgin Money Giving to have their own fundraising page that can be used to collect donations for your own events – choosing Tri4Japan as your fundraising charity. This gives your friends, family and colleagues a secure facility to make a donation online and the ability to add Gift Aid to these donations – increasing your fundraising total.
We’ve very pleased to be able to offer this facility to our supporters and donors. Mike and Rieko are currently in Japan visiting Kamaishi and we will publish updates from them shortly.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our donors and supporters who have followed our progress since March and for supporting Tri4Japan.
We’re very grateful to all the brands and athletes who have donated items to the auction and hope you’ll join us on eBay from Sunday 31st July and help us to raise as much as we can.
All proceeds from the auction will go towards our fundraising total and help us to make a real difference to the people of Kamaishi, a town devastated in the March earthquake and Tsunami.
Our Charity and Where We Are Heading
July 2011 – we have been very busy since our initial visit to Kamaishi, as you can see from our updates, we have lots of friends in Japan helping us raise money.
It has been a long slow slog to get our ebay account up and running and registered as a charity so that we don’t pay any needless charges and from now on, my attention will be centered on getting the goodies uploaded on ebay ready for the auction on Aug 1st.
Rieko and I are planning to go back out to Japan in October, by which time we will have a much clearer idea as to what problems are being sorted and what is still to do. To put things in perspective the tsunami that hit Japan, in March created the equivalent of 27 years worth of rubbish in just a few hours. The long term plan is to try and get everything back to normal within 10 years. In the mean time Rieko and I want to help the quality of life of those most badly affected.
Last week Open Water Swim held a charity aquathlon, and just under 100 people raced, and it is hoped that the final figure raised will be around £2,000. I will get a report and photos uploaded shortly.
Raising money is getting tougher as there have been many natural disaster in the world this year, but we shall keep at it. It is an unfortunate state of affairs and one disaster is not more worthy than another, and we cannot all help everyone in one go, but we have to do our best, because doing nothing when we have the power to affect change for the better is equally as bad.
I know that the amounts we can raise are small when compared to the large charities in the world, but the positive feedback we received in Japan when we visited makes all the hard work worthwhile.
I hope that all the goods in the auction will sell for a good price. This is what I call “positive charity” we have some amazing goods that triathletes around the world will want and hopefully won’t mind spending money for a good cause at the same time.
Finally, we will shortly have our Tri4Japan Limited Edition Newton racing shoe . These have been generously manufactured for us, for free, by Jerry Lee of Newton Running. This unbelievable act of kindness means that all the money donated will go directly to Tri4Japan. Thank you Jerry!
Please keep an eye on our website over the next few weeks as we add more regular updates, and please keep some money aside for our big auction on Aug 1st.
Kind regards
Mike Trees
March 2011 – we have now been up and running for just over a week, and in that time I have hardly slept, but single handedly kept Starbucks in profit.
I thought it was time to take stock and update you about where are heading.
As I have already explained on our about us page, Rieko and I started this charity after seeing such awful images of Kamaishi Port and City being destroyed in front of our eyes. Because of our connection to the city through triathlon, we instantly new had to do something. We started telling the world about this city, and soon the Japanese triathlon community heard of our activities.
They are extremely grateful and we have heard lots of “Thank you” voices. Everyone says it will give them all “mental strength to struggle on, no matter how much we collect money”.
We are humbled by such expressions.
However, at the same time we heard people saying “Why Kamaishi?, there are other cities who lost lives and some who are still getting no help because of the leaking radiation.
Sydney Olympic triathlete (and current member of Team TBB), Hiro Nishiuchi’s family live in Minami Soma city, which is within the 30km exclusion zone of the Fukushima nuclear power station and people cannot get in or out of the area. Lots of truck drivers are refusing to go there and take in supplies, such as food and water. He and his family are incredibly stressed over this situation.
Unfortunately, his cousin died in the Tsunami and his grandmother is still missing, eight members of his family have been evacuated to his wife, Maki’s house in Kobe.
Rieko’s friends’ house is based in within 30km of the Fukushima nuclear power station, his family are farmers and own 1000s of cows. Because they have to look after them, they are still hanging in there.
Our friend’s Satohi, grew up in Akita-prefecture, unfortunately the school she graduated from is now the place where they are putting dead bodies.
The more Rieko and I talked to Japanese people, the more we realized that the whole 500km ocean area has been hugely damaged and we thought it is not right just to support Kamaishi city just because we have a great history with it. For example we have discovered a little known fact, that up to 40% of the Japanese fishing fleet may have been destroyed in the tsunami!
To be honest, the problem is so vast, it is virtually impossible to decide where we should start from. However, we have to start somewhere.
Rieko and I have thought long and hard and our central theme has not changed.
“We want to help people who lost their loved ones, we want to help the survivors and we want to give them hope and joy and reasons to live!”
This charity has just started and until we can get to Japan in April, we cannot decide who we will hand over the money to, but we will keep you updated about what we are doing so that our activities will be as clear as possible. We aim to give out regular reports to keep reminding people around the world what is happening in the area, otherwise the mass media will move on and the world will forget.
After a summer of collecting money and after our big triathlon Ebay auction, we aim to make our first donation in October.
How much we can give and who we can give it to will depend on how much we raise. The more money we raise, the more chance we have to split the donations between various None Profit Organisations (NPO’s) in the disaster zone in Japan.
We would like your comments and opinions, we will consider them all.
If you are happy with what we are doing, please support us!
Mike Trees
Chairman
Tri4Japan
Tri4Japan Announce Massive Multi Sport Charity Auction
Tri4japan, the charity established to help the people of Kamaishi, devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami, announces the launch of a major fundraising initiative.
Beginning 1st August, we will launch a massive multi sports auction on Ebay – it will be a celebration of the coming together of triathletes, endurance and multisport athletes as well as competitive manufacturers, all showing that in time of desperate need we can all pull together to help those less fortunate that us with the biggest collection of sports memorabilia of the year!
All money raised will go to the Tri4Japan disaster fund, enabling us to effect a change for the better.
For further details and to view our opening lots – visit our auction page.
“Like people the world over, I am so shocked and saddened by the scenes of complete devastation in Japan, and of course in other countries that have suffered from horrific natural disasters. We are witness to the huge loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, and continued vulnerability and fear: but at the same time we see unwavering courage, hope, solidarity and true strength of spirit.
Tri4Japan is an opportunity for the triathlon, and entire sporting community, to come together to help support the Japanese people reconstruct their land and their lives, and give them the chance of a better tomorrow. So please, let us all join hands to support this initiative and harness the power of sport to make a real difference.”
Chrissie Wellington – Triple Ironman World Champion & current World Record holder
Read more messages of support from leading figures in the triathlon community – here
Mr Kobayashi the Driving Force Behind the Kamaishi Triathlon is Alive
The Japanese triathlon community have all been worried about Mr Kobayashi (72), the driving force behind the Kamaishi triathlon since its start 22 years ago.
We have just had some great news, from Satako FujiHara. It appears that, Mr Kobayashi and his wife are alive and safe…read more
Japan is gripped by its worst disaster since WWII. Earthquakes, tsunami and now nuclear radioactivity fears.
My Japanese wife Rieko and I lived in Japan for many years and have family and friends there.
On Friday 11th March 2011, we watched in horror when the earthquake and tsunami hit Eastern Japan.
We instantly knew we had to do something. One of the port towns called Kamaishi was literally washed away in front of our eyes…
Why did we start?
Kamaishi was the town on TV that really struck a chord string with us. Suddenly, this was real and it suddenly this was personal. When we saw buildings we had stayed in, shops we had visited, and roads we had walked down, vanish in front of our eyes, under the relentless surge of that all consuming Tsunami, we knew we had to act. Not only people suffering in Kamaishi, but those affected all over Japan, and if we had the resources, all people suffering in the world. However, we are just two people, with limited resources and limited time. Rather than watch in vain and prey, we put a stake in the ground and said “now is the time to act.” The earthquake and Tsnuami we saw hit Kamaishi was the catalyst, for our call to action.
Why Tri?
Triathlon is all we know, I have been involved in triathlon for 25 years, it is not only our livelihood and our hobby, and a way of life. Although we say tri4japan, we want to include all sports, swim, bike run, endurance and sprint, individual and team. The true essence of our mission is that all people from all sports around the world come together and TRY FOR JAPAN.
We’ve started Tri4Japan to raise money to help the people of Kamaishi who in many cases have literally lost everything in this devastating disaster. At this time rescue workers are unable to reach the town, but when it is safe to do so we will visit Kamaishi and identify a worthwhile project to support with funds raised that will make a tangible difference.
Kamaishi International Triathlon has been at the forefront of triathlon in Japan for over 22 years. To name just a few Pro’s, Cameron Brown, Lorretta and Luke Harrop, Rina Bradshaw Hill, Glende Magnum, Chris Hill, Stephen Farrell, Jason Metters, myself Mike Trees, have all raced there. It was funded totally by the Town Council. Now the town has been devastated and that same council and town needs our support.
It is our aim to provide this support and also to bring triathlon back to Kamaishi and help organise an event that we hope will be supported and attended by the biggest names in triathlon when the town has been redeveloped.
Kamaishi International Triathlon has been at the forefront of triathlon in Japan for over 22 years. To name just a few Pro’s, Cameron Brown, Lorretta and Luke Harrop, Rina Bradshaw Hill, Glende Magnum, Chris Hill, Stephen Farrell, Jason Metters, myself Mike Trees, have all raced there.
All these athletes were able to make a living at the sport thanks to the generous sponsorship of such races.
Kamaishi International Triathlon was funded totally by the Town Council. Now the town has been devastated and that same council and town needs our support.
As I write this I am still unable to contact my friends in kamaishi Town. Each day we pray for good news!
I want all triathletes around the world to dig deep and help Tri4Japan raise money. Triathlon in Japan has enriched the lives of so many triathletes for over 25 years, now I want all our friends in the triathlon world to help Japan. Our aim is to raise as much money as possible by September. No expenses will be taken, and all people helping are offering their time and services for free.
The money will really help but also the psychological boost to the Japanese, knowing that all triathletes around the world are helping will be priceless.
Rieko and I intend to get to the devastated area as soon as it is safe to do so.
We will research and analyze what Japanese need most and would like to use it for their best, as we realise many will now be orphaned due to the tsunami, we want our money to help people who have lost their family members through this disaster.
Yours faithfully
Mike and Rieko Trees
