There was no cleaning or refurbishing work today. We had a mochi making and eating party instead. Many participants had fun at the party; Sagami Women’s University group, Vietnamese group, U.S. Yokota Air Force Base group, Tama Technical High School group, Ethiopian group, and voluntary members.  To read more,

  “Bike & Camp”, organized by one of our voluntary members, Yamashita(his official site）, was held at Kasmigaura, Ibaragi, on November 23 and 24.

  It was rainy all three days including the preparation day, unfortunately. In spite of such weather, however, 38 participants stayed in their tents, 42 shops were open, and about 80 makers and lots of people supported the event. They had also planned various kinds of workshops, some of which were cancelled due to the heavy rain.

  On the night of 23, there were a talk session and a charity auction. In the talk session, Mr. Nishikawa, who has been traveling around the world by bike, told us interesting stories based on his own experiences. In the charity auction, they offered more than eighty goods, which seemed to be so attractive to bike riders and camp goers.

  There were three kinds of charity at ‘Bike & Camp’ this time. The first is the charity auction and the second is cake sale. We asked Mr. Nishikawa to sell cakes baked by a voluntary member of our NGO with his ‘free coffee.’ Mr. Nishikawa offers ‘free coffee’ during his bike travel around the world too. The third is collecting donation through ‘rental helmet’ for bike trial.

  Though not many people tried riding a bike in the rain, our donation box became full, much more than the rental fee(100 yen for each).

  The half of the charity auction went to the typhoon victims in Ibaragi and they donated the other half to our NGO. The total donation was over 100,000 yen. We really appreciate it. Thank you very much.

－－－－－－－－　The following is how the event goes.　－－－－－－－
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(Left) Around Kasumigaura is 100 km. The event was held at Ayuzaki park, in the north lakeside.
(Right) Schedule of ‘Bike & Camp.’

The main tent and our NGO’s tent.

Our NGO’s tent. Look at the handmade signboard and photo panel.

(Left) They had lots of firewood in the main tent. The firewood was provided for free.
(Right) Rainy and windy all through the event, but bike riders didn’t seem to care.

(Left) Participants at the main tent. The first thing to do was to sign up for application.
(Right) Yamashita, being interviewed by the PR department of Kasumigaura city.

(Left) There were many food shops.
(Right) Original spoon making by pounding brass.

(Left) Kids are always energetic, rain or shine.
(Right) The bike with a small baggage car.

－－－－－－　The following is the night event and the next day　－－－－－

A talk show was held upstairs of Kasumi Kitchen at the lakeside on Saturday night.

(Left) So many goods for the auction. There were bags attached to a bike, T-shirts, various kinds of bike parts, and a bike frame, which was sold at 20,000yen.
(Right) Looks like this auction was so exciting to bike freak participants.

(Left) Mr. Nishikawa was offering free coffee all through the event.
(Right) He sold our cakes with free coffee for our NGO.

There was a moment of sunshine on Sunday, only once though.

Rain, rain, rain. Every group started to put away things and take down before the closing time, 14:00.

Thanks to everyone at the event, it was successful even though it was under rainy weather.

  We have got news that the wheelchairs we had offered to Saito Workshop Co.,Ltd and NPO”good!” on October 24 reached Erdenette, Orkhon county, in northern part of Mongolia. They are refurbishing the wheelchairs at a Mongolian vocational college and will send them to children there, they say. Mr. Saito is going to visit the college to give them technical instructions.

  Thus the number of the countries we have sent wheelchairs to is 24, and the total of wheelchairs we have sent is 8,066.

  The donation record graph is from here.

  The ship loaded with 90 wheelchairs for Cambodia left Tokyo port on November 26, expected to reach Sihanoukville port around December 13. Among these 90 wheelchairs are included some from Nakahara special school and Hachiojihigashi special school gathered in October and some from other schools and individuals.

  The number of the wheelchairs sent to Cambodia so far is 670, and the total number we have sent abroad is more than 8,000. We’d like to express our gratitude to everyone who have supported our activities.

  The donation record graph is from here.

  Most of the wheelchairs our NGO send to overseas children are donations from special schools in the Kanto district. They give us five to six hundred wheelchairs every year. In November we got offeres from the following four schools.

– 11/1 Kitatsunashima special school     10 wheelchairs
– 11/11 Itabashi Murasaki Aiikuen         32 wheelchairs
– 11/19 Shikamoto Gakuen                   11 wheelchairs
– 11/22 Wakabadai special school          11 wheelchairs

  As for receiving these wheelchairs we arrange to send a truck to each school. School teachers and PTA members help us carry out wheelchairs and load them into the truck. They thank us for not wasting their wheelchairs and reusing them as well.

  We promise them to refurbish the wheelchairs completely in our activity and send them to needy children abroad. We also thank them for offering their wheelchairs and giving us help.

－－－－－－－－－ This is how we get wheelchairs. －－－－－－－－－

〇At Shikamoto Gakuen(11/19)
  Shikamoto Gakuen is ten-minute bus ride from JR Shinkoiwa station. It has two sections, one is for the physically disabled and the other is for the mentally disabled. The lot is very large and the school buildings look spacious.

(Left) When we got to the school the PTA members were carrying out wheelchairs.
(Right) They moved the wheelchairs close to the truck.

Loading wheelchairs into the truck.

(Left) The last two wheelchairs and the PTA members.
(Right) The truck heading for our warehouse in Hamura.

〇At Wakabadai special school(11/22)
  Wakabadai special school is twenty-minute bus ride from JR Tokaichiba station. It has a physically disabled section and a mentally disabled section like Shikamoto Gakuen, and about eighty students come to each section.

Schoolteachers and PTA members helped us load wheelchairs into the truck.

(Left) Teachers gathered wheelchairs in the hallway beforehand.
(Right) Teachers and PTA members carried wheelchairs by an elevator.

(Left) Wheelchairs under the eaves waiting for the truck.
(Right) Using a lifter for loading.

(Left) Loading in the rain, unfortunately.
(Right) Thanks for helping us.

    It was a mild autumn day, perfect for our monthly meeting. There were about sixty participants:Sagami Women’s University group, Vietnamese group, Nikko Asset Management group, Yokota Air Force Base group, Ethiopian group, and voluntary members.  To read more,

  The ship loaded with our 90 wheelchairs left Tokyo port for Vietnam on November 15, expected to reach Haiphong, Vietnam, around Nov. 24. This transport is free of charge, thanks to the APL.
  The number of wheelchairs sent to Vietnam so far is 1,275, which is the biggest number of all the countries we’ve sent wheelchairs. The donation record graph is from here.

  We did loading 90 wheelchairs into the container for Vietnam on November 7.  There were Akishima Chuo Rotary Club members, our president, and some of our directors coming, and all of us helped with the work.

  Akishima Chuo Rotary Club members joined our monthly meeting in August(the article). They will be attending the hand-over ceremony in Vietnam, too.  Akishima Chuo Club has also been supporting our activity through donation every year. We really appreciate it.

  The container was transported from Hamura to the container terminal of the port of Tokyo. It is scheduled to be shipped on 14th and will arrive at Hai Phong port, Vietnam around November 24.

  This marine transport is for free thanks to the APL.  The APL sent some employees to our monthly meeting in September(the article).  Also they held a explanatry meeting at the container terminal for us twice(the first, the second).  We’d like to express our gratitude for their various kinds of support.

－－－－－－－－－－－－This is how the loading goes.－－－－－－－－－－－－

(Left) The trailer truck got to Tama packing industry at 13:00.
(Right) The 20-foot container is ready for loading 90 wheelchairs.

(Left) We stacked up wheelchairs with a rudder, keeping the size and weight of each wheelchair in mind and choosing which one to put in.
(Right) A forklift is a must for this kind of work.

(Left) We use lumber and some boards for the stability during the voyage.
(Right) Finishd. We put all the wheelchairs into the container.

(Left) Akishima Chuo Rotary Club members and our president, Morita, with their flags.
(Right) Mr. Morita and our members with the APL flag and our panels for the event.

(Left) The last two wheelchairs. Now that we have so much space again, new wheelchairs will be coming from special schools and be piled up here.
(Right) The container leaves for the container terminal of Tokyo port.

  We’ve got 10 wheelchairs from Kitatsunashima special school in Yokohama. When we got to the school, several teachers were carrying wheelchairs out.
  These wheelchairs have been kept in school for some time and we hear there were parents who brought a wheelchair during that time. They at first didn’t want to part with the wheelchair their late child had used because it’s kind of a reminder for them. They changed their mind when they heard of our activity and now they hope their wheelchair will be of use for some other child.
  We will surely take great care in cleaning and refurbishing them in our activity and deliver them to overseas children in need. We really appreciate their kindness.　　　　　　　　　　　

－－－－－－－－－－－－Loading Wheelchairs into the truck－－－－－－－－－－－－

(Left) It says Kitatsunashima Special School.
(Right) The complete view of the school.

Teachers carrying out the wheelchairs.

Onto the truck. Teachers were really helpful.

(Left) Ten wheelchairs are all loaded into the truck.
(Right) The truck leaving for our warehouse in Hamura.

We are grateful for your support. Thank you very much.