Japan needs your help after being struck by a devastating earthquake on Mar. 11.
Because of the disaster Japan will be unable to host the 20th anniversary of the Toyota World Junior Golf Team Championship until next year. Since the championship’s inception, the Junior Orange Bowl Committee (JOBC) has sponsored and selected the American team for the Championship with the coordination of golf coaches from around the United States.
The warm hospitality and goodwill of the Japanese people have touched the lives of many of the junior golfers who have been fortunate enough to participate in the championship. Therefore, in light of the championship’s anniversary year being postponed, the Junior Orange Bowl is taking this opportunity to give back to the Japanese citizens in their time of need.
The Junior Orange Bowl Committee in coordination with the Bank of Coral Gables has set up a bank account to assist with the Toyota Relief Fund effort for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake. It has been estimated that Japan’s initial recovery will take at least five years and the full recovery much longer than that, thus any support will go a long way toward helping the cause. Contributions may be tax-deductible and 100 percent of the donations will go directly to helping the victims.
The idea for creating this relief fund came from two local teenage golfers whose fathers are past presidents of the Junior Orange Bowl and have been involved with the Toyota World Junior Golf Team Championship since its beginnings.
Lindsay Kerdyk, daughter of Coral Gables Vice Mayor William “Bill” Kerdyk and Julie Steinbauer, daughter of Junior Orange Bowl Golf director J.R. Steinbauer, conceived the idea of creating a fund to assist the Japanese recovery efforts during a round of golf at the Biltmore Hotel. They brought the idea to their fathers and the fund was created.
By the end of May more than $11,000 had been raised thanks to donations from the Junior Orange Bowl Committee, Royal Canadian Golf Association, Colombian Golf Federation, and European Golf Association. Additional donations from other golf federations around the world have already been pledged. The fund remains open and the general public is welcome to make contributions to help bring it closer to its final goal.
Send your donations to: Bank of Coral Gables, Junior Orange Bowl Japan Relief Fund, 2295 Galiano St., Coral Gables, FL 33134. Make your checks payable to Junior Orange Bowl Japan Relief Fund.
Should you have any questions, call the Bank of Coral Gables at 305-500-9501 or the JOBC at 305-662-1210.
The JOBC Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves the community of South Florida and the youth of the world by providing opportunities for wholesome, competitive and multi-cultural experiences. For more information on the Junior Orange Bowl Committee, call 305-662-1210 or visit the website at www.jrorangebowl.org.
