07/13/2014
Thank you very much for all your supports!!
When KC and I met the day after the tsunami in 2011, we were searching for a way to make a difference even though we were an ocean away from Japan. We didn’t know anything about starting a website, tumblr, or Weebly. What we did know is that when people are in need there are always many more willing to help out. Large organizations stepped in to provide food, clothing and shelter to those who were displaced by the disaster. Those things are crucial and the outpouring of support from around the world was incredible. Our belief was that the younger people who were affected would also need less tangible things—like encouragement, support, and emotional comfort. We knew we couldn’t do it alone, and we knew others who might have already donated money still wanted to give something more. And that’s where the idea for “Smile” donations came from. A smile doesn’t need to be translated; it has many meanings; and it is free to give. Little did we know that so many of you would be willing to offer your Smiles to the children in Japan, through drawings, poems, videos and music. We are humbled by the support you have given. We could not have reached our goal of 38 months of continuous support for those affected without your generosity. As this project concludes, we thank you. You have made a difference—thanks for sharing your Smiles!!!
KeepSmilingProject 38
Keisuke Ida & Nathan Hadley