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(Rocky's speech from the "Night of 1,000 Cranes" Gala
held on April 17, 2011)
It is with humble gratitude, that I welcome all of you here today on behalf of the Calgary Japanese Community Association.
As you are all aware, on March 11, 2011 at around 2:45 pm, one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history, with a magnitude of 9.0, hit an area just north east of Tokyo. The subsequent tsunami, nuclear disaster and volcanoes have combined to become the most devastating series of catastrophes to rock Japan since World War Two.
We’ve all seen the numbers. To date there have been approximately 13,000 deaths and over 15,000 people continue to be missing. Over 125,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed with the potential loss estimated to be in the range of 300 billion dollars. Many towns have suffered severe damage or have been completely destroyed, including the small town of Yamada, with a population base of 15,000 people of which 80% are still declared missing. Over one hundred thousand people still remain homeless in temporary shelters; aftershocks continue to rock the country; and the instability of the nuclear reactors remains a constant threat. Stories such as this continue to flow out to the western world to remind us that this catastrophe is still ongoing and tugs at our very heartstrings.
Yet through all of this destruction and despair the people of Japan have demonstrated strength, dignity and resiliency in the face of adversity. There is a spirit of cooperation and togetherness that has taken over as Japan starts down their long road to recovery. Many sacrifices have been made and are continuing to be made in Japan, including the brave souls who have risked their lives to control the nuclear threat.
The title of this gala dinner “Night of 1000 Cranes” gets its meaning from the Japanese legend that a wish will be granted to a person who folds 1,000 cranes in a labour of love. Often times, families or groups of people come together to accomplish this labour of love. We are all here in a time of need to make a difference. The Calgary Japanese Community Association, as small as it is, will endeavour to do its upmost to support the victims of this horrific series of events.
One behalf of the CJCA, I wish to thank all of you for coming out tonight in support the relief efforts in Japan. A special thank you as well to all of our sponsors and donors, as well as the Hotel Arts for donating the use of this wonderful venue. All of your generous contributions will make a difference to the lives of many.
I would also like to thank everyone involved with the organization of this ambitious event, from the organizing committee members, the performers, patrons, sponsors and event volunteers. My personal thanks to our MC, Tim Tamishiro; our honoured guests, Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Honourable Lindsay Blackett, Deputy Consul General Shinichiro Hayashi and Vice Consul Isao Watanabe as well as the Chair of Night of 1000 Cranes, Bob Planidin; and most of all, to our busy and capable Chair of the Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Committee, Kevin Okabe. We hope that you all enjoy the unfolding of this memorable event! Thank you.
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