This is the Hashiura Elementary School outside of Ishinomaki. This school survived the tsunami but two other elementary schools in the area did not. All the remaining children from all three schools now attend this school. The school wants to take all the 5th and 6th graders on a camping trip in September. The Church's Helping Hands organization learned that the children needed bags to pack their belongings for the field trip. The Professional baseball team in Sendai arranged for the bags and the church paid for them. Gary was asked to present the bags to the school at a school carnival they had on Saturday.
One student from each of the three schools were presented a bag in behalf of all the 5th & 6th Graders.
All three Principals, now Co-principals, were also presented with 3 Helping Hands T-shits. It was a nice occasion and Gary was a great presenter.
The community enjoyed the day inside the gym because it was raining outside. It felt like a school function at any school in America; kids running around while the parents all talked together. We enjoyed it.
A group of student who are very good at the drums entertained parents and grandparents.
A group of boys playing a game in the corner.
Notice how everyone takes their shoes off before entering a room. The gym floors were sparkling clean even though it was muddy outside from the rain.
One of the Principals met us in a 1st Grade classroom. He described to us how the school was doing since the tsunami. The school has only 175 students because so many families have moved away from the area because they had no home nor jobs. About 12-15 chidren were lost in the tragedy. They were children who were waiting at the school for their parents to pick them up. One child's body has never been recovered. 
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