Italian luxury brand TOD'S was one of the first brands to offer support following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Diego Della Valle, Chairman and CEO of TOD'S, has contributed to the restoration of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Colosseum in Rome, as well as to the preservation of Italian cultural heritage. Della Valle personally continues to support the restoration of the Della Valle Elementary School in Gazzetta d'Ete, where TOD'S headquarters are located, with the aim of nurturing children. Based on this humanitarian spirit, when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, Della Valle immediately decided to donate 100 million yen to Save the Children, an international NGO that supports children, based on his belief that "children's educational opportunities must not be denied." "Three months after the disaster, we began by visiting each prefecture in the Tohoku region to determine what specific support we could provide," says Yoriko Takuma, CEO of TOD'S Japan.
With the cooperation of Save the Children Japan, Tod's donations were subsequently used to build a children's home at Koyo Elementary School in Ishinomaki, improve the grounds at Hakusan Elementary School in Kamaishi, build Shikazuma Nursery School, support the Ofunato bus service, and rebuild Yamada Kindergarten. By March 2013, these five projects had been completed.
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, priority was given to providing material support and building educational infrastructure. However, the need for mental health support gradually became apparent, prompting Tod's Japan and Save the Children Japan to move to the next stage of their efforts.
Three years after the disaster, the number of individuals and companies providing support has gradually decreased. It is true that people in the affected areas are beginning to take proactive steps to recover and get back on their feet. However, it remains unclear whether the invisible, deep-seated scars have healed.
■ Holding soccer classes that bring dreams and hope
In July 2013, Tod's Japan and Save the Children Japan launched a new project to support the "Children's Soccer Classes" held by Sports Pro Bono, a general incorporated association founded by former Japanese national soccer team player Tsuyoshi Kitazawa. This project was launched in response to Kitazawa's proposal to not just provide facilities but to provide ongoing support to children to help heal their hearts.
This support is possible because a portion of the proceeds from Tod's limited edition charity bracelets is used to fund activities. Cause marketing, in which a portion of the proceeds is donated, has become popular in Japan in recent years. The motivation of purchasing this bracelet, knowing that you are contributing to the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, makes shopping both fun and meaningful.
The first "Children's Soccer Classes" were held on July 29 and 30, 2013, for students in Kamaishi City and Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture. One year later, on July 28th of this year, we held our second soccer workshop for children from an after-school children's club in the Koyo district of Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Over 170 children from the after-school children's club, ranging from first through fourth graders, gathered during their summer vacation to receive instruction from three instructors: Kitazawa Tsuyoshi, former Japan futsal national team members Fujii Kenta and Yokoe Rei.
The workshop, which included children with no soccer experience, began with a group of children facing completely different directions. Through play, these children learned how to handle the ball and, before they knew it, were swept up in Kitazawa's pace. Finally, we formed separate teams for boys and girls, and played a match featuring 30 to 40 children against three instructors and three adults. The children's faces beamed as they chased down the relentless adults, intercepted passes, and scored goals, seemingly forgetting all about the earthquake disaster. The power of sport is to create moments of forgetfulness and inspire people to move forward. "Some kids cried after losing the game, but the fact that they were able to cry simply means they were becoming more relaxed," Kitazawa pointed out. Last year, the children seemed somewhat closed off, which made the organizers nervous. However, this year, they sensed a bright spot, as if the children were returning to their normal lives. "We've moved from material support to personal support, and perhaps we're reaching a new level of support. I feel like this soccer class was like a summer festival," Kitazawa said, his light-hearted tone saying it all. When asked about the third soccer class, he said that Tod's Japan, Save the Children, and the Sports Pro Bono program will continue their activities. Reconstruction support is entering a new phase.
