Bay Area Japan quake aid: $500,000 from Sutter Health

A Northern California hospital system with campuses across the Bay Area -- including Sonoma County -- has donated a half-million dollars to the American Red Cross to assist with relief efforts in Japan, the group announced Friday.

Sutter Health, a non-profit health care system, made a $500,000 donation to the American Red Cross, which is considered a "long-time, valued community partner," president and CEO Pat Fry said.

Japan, which is now dealing with a precarious nuclear situation following an earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands, has received millions of dollars in donations, according to the American Red Cross.

The group announced on Tuesday that it had made an initial $10 million contribution to the Japanese Red Cross Society after people all over the U.S. donated to the cause.

Traci Van, the community benefit director for Sutter Health, said the group has been making large donations to disaster areas since 2001.

The group donated $300,000 to the American Red Cross on Sept. 12, 2011, and has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to relief organizations working with victims of the Haiti earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, East Asian tsunami of 2004, and San Bruno pipeline explosion, respectively.

"As an organization we have a history of stepping up and trying to
alleviate the suffering caused by these disasters by giving to organizations
we think are best able to serve the affected areas," Van said.

She said the biggest need in Japan appeared to be getting resources such as water, food and shelter to victims of the affected area, which is the Red Cross' expertise.

Sutter Health invested $667 million in 2009 in care and service for the poor and underserved, according to the group.

A neighborhood hardware store in Benicia has already gathered nearly $10,000 in a week since it announced a $50,000 fundraising goal to help victims of the recent earthquake in Japan.

Gene Pedrotti, owner of Pedrotti Ace Hardware on 830 Southampton Road, said his store will likely hit the $10,000 fundraising mark today for relief money to victims of a massive 8.9-magnitude quake that struck in Japan the night of Mar. 10 and has since killed thousands and leveled entire communities.

The money donated is "sending a blessing and a prayer to the victims in Japan," Pedrotti said.

Store management announced on Mar. 13 its goal of raising $25,000, and the retailer will match all donations for a total of $50,000.

Pedrotti said he has been surprised by the generosity of his customers, who collectively gave more than $1,000 in less than a day after hearing a relief fund had been established.

The store has given money to other natural disaster relief efforts in the past, and this year set up a charitable trust specifically to give money to causes, Pedrotti said.

Through April, customers shopping at the store will be asked if they would like to donate money when they check out at the register. People can either give cash or make a large donation with the check payable to "Red Cross - Japan Disaster," according to Pedrotti.

also launched an aid drive at the school last week.