Saito, Brewers Chip In for Japan

As everyone knows, Japan was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this month. For the thousands of victims and their families, it will be a long and difficult process to rebuild and get on with their lives. One of the hardest hit areas in the disaster was a town known as Sendai, which is where Milwaukee Brewers Relief acquisition Takashi Saito is from – and where much of his family still resides. But the veteran reliever and the Milwaukee Brewers are doing something to help.

On Sunday at Maryvale baseball park, nearly 20  Brewers players sat down and signed autographs for fans for close to an hour before the game, directing them to Red Cross volunteers stationed nearby to gather donations.

The big fundraiser is set to kick off during the home opener, on April 4th at Miller Park. The Brewers Community Foundation will be hosting a special 50/50 raffle during the game, with half of the proceeds going to UNICEF in order to help children affected by the disaster in Japan. If you happen to be going to the game, consider parting with the two bucks, you could win a lot of money and you’d be helping out a great cause as well. Saito himself has promised to make additional contributions above the donations given by fans and the Brewers Organization.

Takashi Saito has been in contact with his family, and his children and wife are heading back to Japan to begin school soon. The devastation in his home country has shaken him deeply, but he mentioned that the support of his teammates and the Milwaukee fans have helped him to remain focused and positive.

If you’d like to help but cannot make it to the game to contribute in the 50/50 raffle, please click here and see how you can donate time or money to the Red Cross relief efforts not only in Japan, but around the globe. As always, our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.