~ Article and photos from JETAA VIC/TAS/SA ~
JETAA Vic/Tas/SA finished off a busy 2015 with an end-of-year networking function to celebrate and reflect on a great 2015. We had 30+ members attend the networking night and it was great to see some newly returned JETs as well as some of the first generation JETs on the night.
JETAA Vic/Tas/SA is busy preparing for the coming year of events, which will start with our annual Big Bento Lunch. After the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, our alumni group wanted to help the people in the devastated areas so we organised a fundraising activity called the Big Bento Lunch. We have held the Big Bento Lunch every year since and raised money for charities and not-for-profit organisations operating in the Tohoku region. In the past four years we have raised more than $30,000 for three different charities in Tohoku.
The Big Bento Lunch encourages participants to hold picnics, order bento boxes to share with colleagues at work, and use the fundraiser as an opportunity to teach friends, colleagues and school students about the disaster in Japan whilst exploring Japanese food culture. During their Big Bento Lunch event, participants raise money for the charity we are supporting. In the past we have had school groups, organisations, companies, and other groups participate in the Big Bento Lunch all around Australia.
This year we are proud to announce that the Big Bento Lunch will be supporting the Taylor Anderson Memorial Fund, a not-for-profit organisation set up in memory of Taylor Anderson, an American JET who sadly passed away during the earthquake and tsunami. The funds raised from this year’s Big Bento Lunch will go towards projects the fund supports in the town that Taylor lived in, Ishonomaki in Miyagi prefecture.
We would love for groups all over Australia and New Zealand to participate in this year’s Big Bento Lunch and help raise money for this cause. To read more and register for the Big Bento Lunch, please visit http://www.victassa.jetaa.org.au/big-bento-lunch/ and to find out more about the fund please visit http://tamf.jp/en/ If you have any questions about the Big Bento Lunch, please email our president Emma Libbis on info@victassa.jetaa.org.au
