【Oshikatsu ELECTRA】Sunday Fundraising

Before noon on March 10th, Kawasaki Frontale players were at the deck of Shin-Yurigaoka Station on the Odakyu Line.
It was a fundraising activity for the Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction support that Frontale has been continuing for many years.

The members who came were 10 of the players registered in the starting lineup for the previous day's match against Kyoto (excluding Kida).
After the 10 players gathered and took a photo, they split into groups of five and stood at two locations (near the McDonald's in front of the station, and between OPA and Elmy.
There were many people lined up at Shin-Yurigaoka Station, and by the time I arrived 10 minutes before the start, there was already a quite long queue.

I kept watching the players and making donations.
Perhaps because it was announced on the support program a few days ago, there were many people who don't usually make it to matches who came to Shin-Yurigaoka Station saying, "Frontale players are coming."
I met an acquaintance, and she said that after she finished donating, she was going to watch the training match at Asao Ground.

Among the members who came for the fundraising activity, my favorite player was also there.
My 'oshi' (favorite) wasn't there, so he's probably scheduled to play in the training match (since he was a substitute the day before).
I spent my time gazing at the players I don't often get to see. Before I knew it, the small change I had set aside for donations was gone.

――What was the purpose of today again?
I spent my time thinking about things like that. It wasn't like a fan service event at Asao Ground; the primary task was to donate.
And, that we must not let the Great East Japan Earthquake fade from memory.
With the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred this New Year's becoming a new memory, I find myself almost forgetting about the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Yuzuru Hanyu, who experienced the earthquake at a skating rink in Sendai that day, won a medal at the Olympics and has since retired.
They say the number of children who don't know about that large-scale disaster is increasing.
The passage of time is cruel.

Frontale has been focusing on support activities since immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Under the 'Mind-1 Nippon Project,' they have been conducting fundraising activities before and after matches.
Once a year, the players visit Rikuzentakata City in Iwate Prefecture to have the 'experience' of learning about the earthquake.
At home games, they hold an event called 'Rikuzentakata Land' two or three times a year. There, they sell many delicious things from Rikuzentakata City.
In any case, they are putting effort into ensuring it is not forgotten.

'Support is not a trend'
Since right after the earthquake, we have kept buying things. For the Great East Japan Earthquake, we bought things from Tohoku, and for the recent Noto Peninsula Earthquake, we bought things from Hokuriku.
That takes the form of support, but hasn't it slipped into the light word 'trend' before we knew it? Hasn't it become like a momentary fever?
Watching Frontale's activities, I am taught that it is important to continue steadily.

That day, last year, and this year――

After the fundraising activity ended, the players gathered together and headed in another direction. It can be said that this fundraising activity was a success again this year.
To tell many people not to let the Great East Japan Earthquake fade. To not forget the people who are still suffering from the disaster.

Shin-Yurigaoka Station, where the players had left, remained as bustling as usual.
I had considered watching the training match at Asao Ground as it was, but perhaps because I was lost in thought, I didn't go and headed to a nearby Starbucks instead.

[Postscript] I heard they were also doing fundraising activities at Mizonokuchi Station the next day.