Earthquake and tsunami disaster relief efforts continue in the Tohoku region, and two schools in the area whose buildings and playing grounds were washed away have been able to re-establish their baseball and other sports programs thanks to the generosity of friends in Guam and Tokyo and also Major League Baseball.
Bill Ireton, president of Warner Bros. Entertainment Japan, recently went to the town of Watari, Miyagi Prefecture, to drop off baseball uniforms and equipment at Arahama Elementary and Middle Schools. He was accompanied by his son Matthew and Tokyo-based society columnist Bill Hersey.
Major League Baseball International, headed by Jim Small, sponsored a weekend for youngsters from Yuriage Elementary and Middle Schools in Natori, also in Miyagi. MLB brought two groups of kids to Tokyo last weekend to play ball against teams from the American School in Japan and attend a pro game between the Yomiuri Giants and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Tokyo Dome.