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Aqua Resort to hold Kumamoto fundraising brunch
Customers who will eat brunch on Friday at the Aqua Resort Club’s Costa Terrace restaurant will be doing their share to help the victims of last month’s Kumamoto earthquake in Japan. The brunch is from 11am to 2pm with all proceeds donated to the victims.
Aqua Resort general manager Kevin Tsurui said this is the Achugao hotel’s part of helping the victims recover after the devastating 7.0-magnitude quake that claimed the lives of 49 people. The hotel is a Japanese-invested facility.
“Specially KEN Corporation [Ken Aqua Hotel & Resort Inc.], our parent company is based in Japan. They had already donated $100,000 from our Guam hotels. Hearing what our company did, we too wanted to do our own share,” said Tsurui.
Hotel Nikko Guam, Hyatt Regency-Guam, Pacific Islands Club-Guam, Hilton Guam Resort &Spa, Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort, and Aqua Resort Club Saipan are owned by KEN Corp. They also manage PIC Saipan.
The Japanese Society of the Northern Marianas is also helping Aqua Resort with the fundraiser said Tsurui. JSNM is also doing their own fundraising activity in the Thursday Night Market and the Taste of the Marianas for the whole month.
“The JSNM will pick up the check on May 30 and the donation will be given to the Japanese Red Cross Society through the Japanese Consulate,” added Tsurui.
He said that he’s been reading news stories online and learned that Kumamoto is now short of volunteers and funds.
“There were a lot of volunteers after the earthquake but the damage was extensive they are now short of people helping with the recovery efforts and also short in funds. They need the money that’s why we’re doing this fundraising,” Tsurui added.
He said he was living in Tokyo when a 9.0-magnitude hit in March 2011. The earthquake, the most powerful that hit Japan and fourth in the world since records were kept since 1900, also triggered a powerful tsunami.
“It was one of the scariest moments of my life that’s why I know how the people of Kumamoto felt. The importance of recover from such a devastating tragedy is the motivation for this fundraiser.”
