Palmer fund-raiser to aid Japan’s recovery efforts

PALMER — The city is collecting donations to be sent to its sister city in the earthquake-ravaged nation of Japan.

Palmer has been a sister city with Saroma Japan for 30 years. Prior to the earthquake, the city and museum had been planning a special exhibit to celebrate that relationship for April 3. That event is quickly becoming a fund-raiser, though the details haven’t been finalized.

In the meantime, anyone who wants to help Saroma can donate to the City of Palmer Japan Disaster Relief Fund through Palmer City Hall at 231 W. Evergreen Ave.

Local telephone utility General Communication Inc. also is offering customers free calls to Japan through April 10. Customers with questions can contact GCI customer representatives at (907) 265-5400 or (800) 800-4800.

And Wells Fargo is making it easy for people to donate to the Red Cross’ efforts to help the people of Japan recover. Customers may donate to the Red Cross at 105 Wells Fargo ATMS in 25 communities across Alaska.

The company also is waiving its ATM and foreign currency fees on transactions conducted by its debit and consumer credit cardholders in Japan through June 15.

So far, Wells Fargo has donated $500,000 to the Red Cross’ humanitarian efforts in Japan.

Visa also has announced it will waive interchange fees through the end of April when cards are used to make donations to qualifying nonprofit organizations that are engaged in relief efforts in Japan. For more information, visit visa.com.