The Atlanta Braves, Japan-America Society of Georgia (JASG) and the American Red Cross have teamed up to raise funds for the earthquake and tsunami relief efforts in Japan. Braves pitcher, Kenshin Kawakami and the Braves organization have made a donation and fans will have the opportunity to make a donation during the two exhibition games vs. the Minnesota Twins on March 29 and 30 and again Opening Weekend (April 8-10).“We have had a wonderful relationship with JASG for the last several years and after the disasters in Japan we reached out to them about how we could help,” said Braves President John Schuerholz. “It’s nice to be able to team up with two great organizations and know that the money will go directly to the people who so desperately need it.”

Kawakami has donated $50,000 and the Braves organization $5,000 to the JASG to help finance relief efforts. Also any contributions made to the Atlanta Braves Foundation from now until April 30 will be donated to the American Red Cross to support the relief fund.

On March 29 and 30 and again during Opening Weekend, members from the JASG will be on hand in Monument Grove to collect donations from fans attending the games.

An America Red Cross in-game message will be shown on BravesVision during the games to let fans know they can make a $10 donation by texting 90999.

Fans who can’t make it out to any of the games, can still make a donation by going to braves.com/donate.

The non-profit arm of the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Braves Foundation actively supports community organizations and their programs within the metro Atlanta area. Since its inception in 1992, the Atlanta Braves Foundation has provided support to thousands of metro Atlanta based organizations and has contributed more than 3.15 million dollars in financial assistance to the community. Through the generous support of Braves fans, players, employees, and partners, the Atlanta Braves Foundation continuously strives to improve the quality of life for our youth.

Contact: Beth Marshall, Atlanta Braves, 404-614-1336 or [email protected]