Pi Delta Psi raises funds for Japan relief shirt proceeds

Less than four weeks after an 8.9 magnitude offshore earthquake created a massive tsunami in Japan, UCF's Pi Delta Psi fraternity took measures to raise relief money for victims.

Since the week of March 22, the Asian cultural interest fraternity has raised more than $2,000 by selling T-shirts in front of the Student Union.

Pi Delta Psi partnered with one of their alumni, Michael Cho, who owns the T-shirt company Impress Ink.

All proceeds from the $15 T-shirts, which have the Japanese character for ‘love' and ‘Japan' incorporated into the design, will go to the victims.

"The T-shirts are fashionable and have a message, which makes them more appealing to a college crowd," Cho said.

News of the T-shirts, which are available on Impress Ink's website, has traveled fast and led to orders being placed from New York and as far as the west coast.

Cho said the feedback has been overwhelming, but that he appreciates the interest in the cause.

The earthquake hits home for Pi Delta Psi brother and finance major Junichi Hirano, who has family in Japan.

Hirano said his father and uncle experienced the aftershock of the earthquake, but are doing well. However, friends of his father and uncle are suffering from the effects of the natural disaster and the radiation from the nuclear power plants.

"Even now, the situation hasn't gotten better," Hirano said. "Any bit of help makes a difference."

Hirano said he feels that selling T-shirts gives a non-verbal message that raises awareness in a way that regular fundraising often does not. He said he's proud of his fraternity for getting everything together so quickly because the effects of this natural disaster are not going away any time soon.

"Many people did not know or understand the magnitude of the situation until Pi Delta Psi brought the awareness to the university," said former fraternity president Chris Chen, who is working on a different charity effort for Japan.

Chen is directing and coordinating a "Kings of the Court" basketball tournament set for April 24. Last year, the funds went to Haiti.

Peter Le, the current president of Pi Delta Psi and and a junior micro & molecular biology major, helped put this event together because of Hirano's Japanese descent and the Asian cultural interest.

Though Le has been a part of other fundraising events, he said that this is the largest.

"If any disaster happens in an Asian country, we'll be the first ones to help," Le said.

Pi Delta Psi has done many other charity events in the past including raising money for the victims of an earthquake in China,  Operation Smile to help children with cleft lips around the world and more recently Relay for Life, said Ricky Ly. Ly founded the fraternity with Cho on the belief that brotherhood should be combined with community service and cultural awareness.

Le said he wants to thank everyone who supported Pi Delta Psi in its efforts and appreciates everyone pitching in for a good cause.

‘Love for Japan' T-shirts can be ordered at ImpressInk.com and picked up or shipped.