Thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation in our "BUY ONE GIVE ONE" initiative, where we prepare and deliver the same number of "CARRY THE SUN" solar lanterns to those in need, matching the number you purchase.
This time, we would like to update you on the progress of our support project, "A Gentle Light for the Victims of the Great Turkey Earthquake: [BUY ONE GIVE ONE Turkey Earthquake Support]," which aims to deliver solar lanterns to those affected by the major earthquake in Turkey.
The major earthquake with an epicenter in southeastern Turkey occurred on February 6, 2023. Over 10,000 aftershocks followed in the next month, causing extensive damage, including parts of neighboring Syria.
In times of disaster, it is crucial to secure the safest possible evacuation sites, and within those sites, to ensure access to food, clothing, and shelter. Our company launched "A Gentle Light for the Victims of the Great Turkey Earthquake: [BUY ONE GIVE ONE Turkey Earthquake Support]" with the hope of assisting disaster-stricken areas, even in a small way, by providing "light" which tends to become scarce when electricity supply is cut off or unstable.
With the support of our customers who endorsed this initiative, as well as the kindness of Ken Noguchi (mountaineer), Representative Director of certified NPO Peak Aid, Masashi Sada (singer-songwriter), founder and director of the Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Kaze ni Tatsu Lion Kikin, and Soichi Kataoka, Mayor of Soja City, Okayama Prefecture, and with the cooperation of the Turkish Embassy, we have converted your goodwill into "CARRY THE SUN" and sent them in five shipments as follows:
1st shipment: 2,000 units (February 28, 2023)
2nd shipment: 3,000 units (March 3, 2023)
3rd shipment: 2,800 units (March 22, 2023)
4th shipment: 2,200 units (March 28, 2023)
5th shipment: 2,240 units (June 9, 2023)
▲Press conference for the project bringing together two organizations, local government, and one company (March 2, 2023)
At the press conference held in Tokyo on March 2, the day before the second shipment, Mayor Soichi Kataoka spoke about his commitment to continuing long-term support, unique to a flexible local government. Following Masashi Sada's remark on "how much a warm light supports people's hearts in the pitch darkness," Ken Noguchi, who has extensive experience not only in mountaineering but also in disaster relief, emphasized the importance of light, saying, "Dark nights can be mentally draining and make the cold feel even more severe. Light can bring peace of mind." He then expressed his desire to "deliver as many solar lanterns as possible to the affected areas."
As a result, we were able to deliver nearly 13,000 solar lanterns in approximately five months, from February to June.
This is entirely thanks to everyone who generously contributed to the "A Gentle Light for the Victims of the Great Turkey Earthquake" initiative. Thank you very much.
▲Aid supplies shipped from our warehouse in Nagano to Turkey via Haneda. English instruction manuals are also included.
We will continue our support projects to deliver "light" that brightly illuminates the darkness and gently warms the hearts of those around, to those who need it, when they need it, in the form of your heartfelt contributions.
▲From left: Ken Noguchi, Masashi Sada, our CEO Aya Denma
*Details of the shipments from the press conference up to the 5th shipment can be found on the "TOPICS" page of our website.
■CARRY THE SUN Medium Light Turkey Earthquake Support Page
https://carrythesun.jp/products/turkey_support
(Distributed on 2023.6.16)
