Japan Sends Relief Aid to Dexter Tornado Victims

Students were all smiles at in Dexter on Tuesday as the school district received a special visit from representatives of Japan.

Kuninori "Matz" Matsuda, consulate-general of Japan, presented students with a $1,000 check for the Dexter Relief Fund to help victims of the March 15 tornado.

Superintendent Mary Marshall said she received notice of the visit earlier this week and informed teachers and students of the presentation.

"Last year students at the elementary schools heard about the tsunami that devastated the coast of northern Japan, and they were very concerned for the Japanese children. Students came together to raise money for disaster relief in Japan. Now the Japanese people are helping out Dexter."

Marshall said students held two fundraisers last year. At , students participated in "Caps 4 Quakes," in which students wore caps to school one day and donated a dollar. The second fundraiser, "Pennies for Pieces," had students collecting pennies and other coins to donate to the Japan Emergency Fund through the General Board of Global Ministries/United Methodist Committee on Relief.

Mary Cooper, principal at Wylie, said she was "amazed" to hear that Japanese delegates would be coming to Dexter to reciprocate the students' actions.

"I'm so impressed that they would be concerned about our community and that they remembered the fundraising efforts our students were involved with last year," Cooper said. "Our actions show you just how small the world is."

David Klumpp, bank manager for Chelsea State Bank said donations to the Dexter Relief Fund continue to pour in.

"There have been a lot of customers dropping off donations for the relief effort. I'm not surprised. That's what Dexter is all about," he said.