Send Christmas Messages to Disaster-hit Children in Fukushima: "Smile Fukushima -- Merry Christmas" Campaign

FUKUSHIMA, Japan, Dec. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The regional daily Fukushima-Minpo announced on December 15 that it will collect Christmas messages in Japan and abroad for children in Fukushima Prefecture affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The "Smile Fukushima -- Merry Christmas" campaign will launch on December 15 and end on December 19.

Selected messages will be carried in the December 25 edition of the Fukushima-Minpo newspaper. The page carrying the messages will be formatted so that it can be folded into a "Christmas hat". The first 200 children of elementary school age or younger and their parents who bring the hat will be admitted free of charge to meet a real Santa Claus from Finland at a Christmas event to be held on December 25, Sunday, at the UNITED SPORTS FOUNDATION KIDS PARK supported by Super SportsXebio in Fukushima City.

The "Smile Fukushima" project was launched by the Fukushima-Minpo in an effort to encourage prefectural residents affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. In the project's inaugural undertaking, sunflowers were planted this summer and a giant flower artwork was created with them.

The upcoming "Smile Fukushima -- Merry Christmas" hopes to bring smiles back to the faces of local children as the first Christmas since the disaster nears.

Overview of the "Smile Fukushima -- Merry Christmas" campaign

MESSAGES

Christmas messages to children in Fukushima Prefecture. Selected messages will appear in the December 25 edition of Fukushima-Minpo newspaper.

How to submit a message:

Send message by email to: [email protected]

What information to include with the message:
1) Nationality, 2) full name, 3) age & 4) message (may be edited due to space restrictions)

Period of application
Thursday, December 15 to Monday, December 19

CHRISTMAS EVENT

14:00-15:30 Tokyo time on Sunday, December 25 (Numbered tickets will be handed out from 9:00 Tokyo time)

Requirement for admission: Bring the message page of the December 25 edition of Fukushima-Minpo folded into a Christmas hat

Maximum number of visitors: 200 children of elementary school age or younger and their parents; numbered tickets will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis

Venue: UNITED SPORTS FOUNDATION KIDS PARK supported by Super SportsXebio (39-2 Sakurauchi, Minami-Yanome, Fukushima City; Tel: +81-24-555-1240)

Contact:
Ryo Sato
Account Services Division 2
Dentsu Public Relations Inc.
Tel: +81-3-5565-8437
Fax: +81-3-3546-0432
e-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Fukushima-Minpo Co.