Corporate sponsor of Jammin’ for Japan, David Schulingkamp, President of worldwide shipping company, M.G. Maher & Company, Inc., and its divisions, MBLX, Inc. and MCLX, Inc., has announced the benefit concert for the NOLA Japan Quake Fund, a tremendous success. In addition to approximately $30,000 in corporate and other donations raised by Jammin’ for Japan efforts to date, the event held on Sunday, April 10, 2011, raised another $25,000 through ticket and food sales, a celebrity bowling tournament, a donations table at the event, a silent auction, and the live auction of performance artist, Frenchy’s painting of the evening.

The A-list of New Orleans bands, all of which donated their time and talent— Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Jeremy Davenport, Bonerama, George Porter, Jr.’s Runnin’ Pardners and Papa Grows Funk with special guest, Sunpie Barnes —and four of which had one Japanese musician, played to a packed house of 900 people at the iconic New Orleans music club, the Rock N Bowl. Mr. Schulingkamp is now challenging other New Orleans and Louisiana companies doing business with Japan, New Orleans’ top trading partner, to continue to donate to the NOLA Japan Quake Fund to help the people of Japan who are suffering from the catastrophic and heartbreaking effects of the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, and subsequent nuclear disaster.

Organizers of Jammin’ for Japan appealed to the New Orleans business community to use the event as a catalyst for donating to the NOLA Japan Quake Fund, which Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans endorsed. M. G. Maher immediately became a corporate donor, taking the lead in the New Orleans business community in showing support for the Japanese companies and individuals, and Government of Japan, who contributed $40 million to a variety of charitable organizations after Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Schulingkamp said, “Japan has consistently been one of the largest trading partners of the Port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River at large for decades and our company has had excellent relationships with the Japanese Trading Companies and manufacturing companies that have been involved in the trade here and throughout the United States since the mid-fifties. Besides business, we have been fortunate to develop warm friendships with many Japanese people and remember well the generous assistance afforded to New Orleans and Louisiana by Japanese companies and organizations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.”

“Our heartfelt sympathies and feelings go to the families and friends of Japan,” he continued. “From the city first made known in Japan by Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) and who in turn taught us many of the first things of Japanese culture, we say thank you. We are with you in all of your recovery efforts.”

While Jammin’ for Japan has past, the needs of the Japanese people continue. Mr. Schulingkamp is now challenging other New Orleans and Louisiana companies doing business with Japan to continue to donate to the NOLA Japan Quake Fund

Why Give? Japan’s Generous Contributions to Hurricane Katrina Recovery

Not only is Japan a top trading partner of the Port of New Orleans and the Port of Kushiro New Orleans’ sister port (in 2010, total tonnage traded between New Orleans and Japan topped 4.29 million tons and all five ports located on the lower Mississippi River moved about 16.5 million tons combined between the two countries); but in the weeks and months following Hurricane Katrina, the Government of Japan and Japanese companies and individuals donated over $40 million dollars to various charities to address the immediate needs of victims (figure supplied by the Honorary Consul General of Japan for New Orleans).

Japanese companies operating in Louisiana were particularly active in helping their communities: Shintech Inc. gave $2,000,000 to hurricane relief, while the Zen-Noh Group donated over $850,000. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. presented both equipment and money, totaling over $250,000, and CMP Coatings Inc. contributed $50,000.

About the NOLA Japan Quake Fund

NOLA Japan Quake Fund represents the joint efforts of the Japan Club of New Orleans, Japan Society, JetaaNOLA, and the Japanese Garden Foundation with Donna Fraiche, the Honorary Consul General of Japan for New Orleans, acting as an advisor.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF), administrator of the NOLA Japan Quake Fund, is a tax-exempt 501©(3) public charity. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. GNOF will send all donor companies a formal letter of acknowledgement of their donation.

• Donations to the fund will go directly to carefully vetted Japanese NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that are on are the ground to assist in recovery and rebuilding efforts, a time as New Orleanians well know, when media coverage has waned and raising money can be more difficult, but is sorely needed.
  • Overhead costs of the fund have intentionally been kept to a minimum so that 98% of donations will go directly to the Japanese NGOs.
  • Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans has endorsed the fund.
  • The New Orleans Board of Trade, the World Trade Center of New Orleans, the Port of New Orleans, and Greater New Orleans, Inc. have all officially endorsed the NOLA Japan Quake Fund.

How To Give to Jammin’ for Japan for the NOLA Japan Quake Fund

Greater New Orleans Foundation, a tax-exempt 501©(3) public charity, is administering the NOLA Japan Quake Fund. Please send all donations directly to GNOF. Please make sure your address on your check is current so that you can receive an official tax deduction letter and thank you letter from GNOF.

• Payable to: NOLA Japan Quake Fund
• Note on check: Jammin’ for Japan
• Address: K&B Plaza, 1055 St. Charles Avenue, Suite 100, New Orleans, LA 70130