$100,000 Red Cross Donation Has Palm Harbor Link

A light rail manufacturer with ties to Palm Harbor has donated more than $100,000 to the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts for the March 11 earthquake in Japan.

Kinkisharyo International LLC made a $100,000 donation to the charity this month. Workers at the company also donated an additional $15,500. Kinkisharyo has an office in Palm Harbor that handles accounting and purchasing for the company.

Hideki Hatai, President of Kinkisharyo says his workers were moved by the generosity of Americans in response to the disaster.

"We are saddened by the massive loss of life, the many injuries and the severe disruption to people's lives. We are happy to be able to help in some way and we further hope that human suffering can be reduced through our contribution and the efforts of the Red Cross," he said. 

Linda Carbone, CEO of Florida's West Coast Region of the American Red Cross said, "The support of so many people and businesses like Kinkisharyo has enabled the American Red Cross to be one of the largest private, international contributors to the earthquake and tsunami response in Japan."

Kinkisharyo was founded in Japan in 1921 and has a facility in Osaka, Japan. The U.S. branch of the company is headquartered in Westwood, Ma.