Misawa's circle of Yen

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Jeremiah Ardon (left), Helen McCammond, Jett Magaña, and Avery Eschliman (right, front to back), third-grade students at Sollars Elementary School, place Japanese Yen in a line that wraps throughout the school June 8. The line measured a distance of 968 feet, or approximately three football fields, and totaled ¥120,270 Yen, or about $1,500. The donations were given to the Japanese Red Cross to help with the Tsunami Relief Fund. (Photo by Mrs. Florrie Anest)

Misawa's circle of Yen

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Florrie Anest, special education teacher, shows the Japanese Yen collected during the Tsunami Relief Coin Drive at Sollars Elementary School June 8. The students were asked by teachers to bring in Yen to help make a circle of Yen throughout the school. They collected ¥120,270 Yen, equal to approximately $1,500, and donated it to the Japanese Red Cross. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. April Quintanilla)

Misawa's circle of Yen

Published June 10, 2011
By Staff Sgt. April Quintanilla
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- Since the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, Sollars Elementary School students have looked for ways to help survivors. The students held a coin drive fundraiser to help with tsunami relief June 8.

The method of fundraising was developed by Mrs. Rachel Berger in 2010 while stationed in Wiesbaden, Germany, but the tradition has taken root in Misawa through her husband, Master Sgt. Michael Berger, and children, Nicholas and Adelaide Green-Berger.

The students started lining up coins on the east side of the main building. The line stretched throughout the hallway walls, then up and down the stairwells and ended past where they started, thus creating a massive coin circle.

"It was really fun doing the coin drive, I really liked making the line go up the stairs," said Adelaide, age 7. If I could meet the families getting the money, I would tell them that our whole school supported them and gave the money to help them survive, added Nicholas, age 10.

Florrie Anest, special education teacher, signed on as lead for the project and made the event possible.

"The line stretched approximately three football fields in length, and totaled ¥120,270 Yen, or about $1,500," said Mrs. Anest.

The donation was given to the Japanese Red Cross to help with the Tsunami Relief Fund.

"We were very grateful to receive the donation from the base," said Ms. Sayaka Matsumoto, Japanese Red Cross public relations officer. "All the money our organization receives is being distributed out to the Japanese families that were affected by the tsunami of March 2011, to aide them in their recovery."