Community Corner
Video: Stamford to Host Benefit for Japanese Disaster Relief
The wine tasting event will be held at the new Commons Park at Harbor Point; proceeds will go to the Japanese American Association of New York.
Mayor Michael Pavia, Public Safety Director Bobby Valentine and other top business and community leaders gathered in the lobby Wednesday morning to announce that the city will be hosting a benefit on June 18 to benefit Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims.
"The attention [on Japan] has dissipated, but the needs haven't dried up," Valentine said. "The needs, in fact, are growing."
"Stamford on the Sound" will be held at the new Commons Park at Harbor Point in the South End and will feature food, wine tasting and a silent auction inside of a large outdoor tent. The proceeds from the event will benefit the Japanese American Association of New York.
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Valentine formed a tight bond with Japan and its people after living there and managing the Chiba Motte Marine baseball team for almost seven years.
"When I first when there, I was an outsider, a foreign guy," he said. "I wasn't met with pleasantries, but I eventually became of the community. The town I lived in reminded me of the Stamford of the 60s.... I never locked my door."
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The benefit not only holds significance for Valentine and the earthquake victims, it also marks the continued revitalization of the city's South End.
"People will be amazed by how much Harbor Point, the city, and the South End community have accomplished together in such a short time to create a 'New Stamford' on the sound," Carl Kuehner, chairman/CEO of Harbor Point developer Building and Land Technology, said in a statement.
The event will be held from 6 p.m to 9 p.m. and tickets may be purchased online.
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