Tri4Japan, the UK registered charity established to help the people of the Japanese Town of Kamaishi, devastated by the March earthquake and tsunami, has reported that over £10,000 was raised by its eBay auction of sporting memorabilia and donated triathlon products.
The auction, held online on eBay, saw 90 items being auctioned with winners coming from all over the world, highlighting the global interest the multisports community has shown in both the Tri4Japan charity and the auction itself. Items in the auction included:
· Adidas shoes signed by Alistair and Jonny Brownlee
· Two Ceepo Venom bike frames
· t-shirts, limited edition prints, shoes and tri clothing signed by Chrissie Wellington
· Over 20 brand new wetsuits donated by blueseventy, Orca, 2XU and Zone Three
· Two entries to Ironman Wales
· A year’s supply of GU Energy Gel
· Craig Alexander replica race kit and autographed visors
Various brands generously donated new products to the auction as well as coveted signed items from their elite sponsored athletes, including World Champions and Olympic medallists.
Mike Trees, founder of Tri4Japan, said “from the day we announced our intention to hold a charity auction to raise much needed funds we have all been overwhelmed and deeply moved by the generosity and support we’ve received from brands and individuals who have given items for us to auction. £10,000 is a significant sum and we sincerely thank everybody who visited the auction on eBay, bidded and won items. Every penny will go to making a real difference to people’s lives in Kamaishi and we are so grateful to everybody involved in the auction”.
Tri4Japan was established in March following the devastating earthquake and Tsunami on 11th March 2011. Full information about Tri4Japan, including video interviews can be found at www.tri4japan.com – two notable videos are:
• BBC Interview - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/world_olympic_dreams/9436534.stm
• Kamaishi Visit - http://www.tri4japan.com/2011/07/14/mike-and-rieko-visit-kamaishi-video-updat/
Follow Tri4Japan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TriforJapan
