A couple of weeks ago, I Heart Japan held an acution at Meltdown Comics in order to raise money for Japan. It was pretty successful on it's own raising $6,500 on it's own with the help of a lot of Anime voice actors and celebrity appearances. Well it seems that THQ decided to match the amount raised bringing the total to $13,000. Not bad at all.
Check out what AM2 had to say:
Video game publisher THQ has generously agreed to match the money raised at last week¹s WE HEART JAPAN event to go to the American Red Cross, bringing the grand total raised for victims of the quake and tsunami that night to over $13,000. On March 17th, the WE HEART JAPAN event, held at MELTDOWN COMICS raised over $6,500 for JCIE's Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund,² which provides support to local Japanese organizations that are taking part in the relief effort. THQ will be matching that amount in a donation for the American Red Cross. To date, JCIE has already transferred $20,000 to their partners in Japan to be used in the relief efforts there.
WE HEART JAPAN is eternally grateful to THQ and our event sponsors AM2, ARTA TEQUILA, BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT, COMIKAZE EXPO, DEVIANTART, GENEON ENTERTAINMENT, HARMONY GOLD, MELTDOWN COMICS, NAN DESU KAN, NYAV POST and PACIFIC MEDIA EXPO. Contributions by Animation Magazine, Aniplex America, Bang Zoom Entertainment, Brian Lee O¹Malley, Celebrity Vault, Cosplay in America, Crowded Teeth, Disney/Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Egdar Wright, Funimation Entertainment, Gamers United, H2Om Water, Kuro Uzu, l33t str33t boys, Sweet Streets LA, Syncretic Media and The Right Stuf International. Food trucks PAPAS TAPAS, JOGASAKI BURRITO, and THE BOBA TRUCK on site all donated a portion of their sales to the ³Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund.
A huge thank you to the numerous artists who donated their works to the silent auction: Richard Aaron, Sherwin Abesamis, Heidi Arnhold, Sia Aryai, Pepper B, Didier Benitez, Aaron Bjork, Kevin Cameron, Cathy Clark, Zane DeGaine, Dekker Dreyer, Rachael Faught, JoAnn Faustino, Kevin Fitzgerald, Gwarf, Alexandria Hoevel, Shin Yin Khor, Pinguino Kolb, Elizabeth Lee, Jason Leung, Leslie Levings, Kaszandra Liput, Krook Martinez, David Mertl, Alfie Numeric, Sasha Palacio, Sam Randazzo, Eron Rauch, Olivia Scheibe, Diana Shin, Shinjuko, Sara Tea, Ryan Tumaliuan, Shinichi ³Nabeshin² Watanabe, Frank Worth, Yokohama Minato-Mirai, and Zero. Many thanks also to Count Ninjula and the Ajuku Girls, who surprised the attendees with an impromptu performance.
And a very special thanks to all the talent who came, signed autographs, and mingled with fans: * Laura Bailey (Dragonball, Fruits Basket) * Troy Baker (Generator Rex, Bleach, The Avengers) * JB Blanc (Technolyze, Bleach, Gundam Unicorn) * Richard Epcar (Ghost in the Shell, Mr. Men, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe) * DC Douglas (Resident Evil, Mass Effect 2, Kyo Kara Maoh!) * Crispin Freeman (Hellsing, Blood+, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Slayers) * Barbara Goodson (FLCL, Power Rangers) * Lex Lang (Naruto, Batman Brave and the Bold, Avengers, Bleach) * Wendee Lee (Cowboy Bebop, Haruhi Suzumiya, Bleach) * Yuri Lowenthal (Ben 10, Naruto) * Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Naruto, Ghost in the Shell, Silent Hill) * Melanie MacQueen (Robotech, My Neighbor Totoro, Mousehunt) * Daran Norris (Team America, Fairly Odd Parents, T.U.F.F. Puppy) * Liam O¹Brien (Naruto, Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy, X-men: Destiny) * Tony Oliver (Bleach, Robotech, Lucky Star) * Tara Platt (Naruto, Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe) * Sam Riegel (Naruto, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) * Michelle Ruff (Gurren Lagan, Digimon Data Squad, Bleach) * Keith Silverstein (Naruto, Resident Evil) * Stephanie Sheh (Naruto, Bleach, Eureka 7) * Michael Sorich (Bleach, Digimon Data Squad, Ghost in the Shell 2.0) * Ellyn Stern (Blue Dragon, Noein, Bleach) * Cristina Vee (Aika R-16 Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha) * Travis Willingham (Vexille, Secondhand Lions, The Guardian) * Tommy Yune (Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, Robotech)
