Powersports industry associations support relief efforts in Japan

Three powersports industry associations have joined forces to provide financial assistance to the relief efforts currently underway in Japan.

The boards and members of the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America are collectively donating $10,000 to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund. Each organization is encouraging its members to make their own contributions. Each organization’s website now incorporates a link to the relief fund so that members and the riding community can easily make donations.

“Thanks to the support of our boards and the contributions of our members, the MIC, MSF and SVIA are able to make a substantial financial contribution to assist the people of Japan,” says Tim Buche, president and chief executive officer of MIC, MSF and SVIA. “We also wanted to provide a way for the riding community to contribute, which is why we established website links.”

Those interested in donating should visit MIC.org, rockmoto.com, motorcycles.org, MSF-USA.org, SVIA.org or atvsafety.org and click on the “2011 Japan Relief Fund” tab. Visitors will be directed to a page with more detailed information and a link to the Japan Relief Fund donation page on the Japan America Society of Southern California website.

The JAS-SC created the 2011 Japan Relief Fund to help provide critical funds to the victims of Japan’s worst natural disaster, the massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake that triggered a tsunami that caused widespread devastation and crippled nuclear power plants.

“The devastation is too much for any country to deal with alone,” says Buche. “Japan is a vital part of our industry, now it is our turn to help them.”

All donations will go to experienced non-governmental disaster relief agencies in Japan that have a proven track record of emergency humanitarian relief and restoration work.