Manu’s Menu participated in the Online Bake Sale organized by Sabrina of The Tomato Tart to raise funds for Japan. The bake sale was held on March 30 and 31 with an initial goal of raising $2,500 for Second Harvest Japan, the country’s primary food bank that has been providing meals to people in areas heavily affected by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
I’m very happy to share that we not only reached the $2,500 target—we more than tripled it. The bake sale raised $8,269, which will be donated to Second Harvest Japan. I want to thank every blogger—more than 90—who generously donated wonderful treats and their time to support this cause. As a relatively new member of the blogging community, I’ve been deeply moved by everyone’s generosity.
A special thank-you goes to Sabrina of The Tomato Tart, the dedicated host of the bake sale. Despite encountering technical difficulties, she successfully organized and ran the event. Her hard work made this possible. I also appreciate Angi of Rice and Wheat for creating a useful bidding form that helped streamline the process.
Thank you to Andrew Sigal of The Uncarved Block for offering to match the first $500 of donations—an incredibly generous contribution. And, of course, huge thanks to everyone who bid so generously on the items; your support made a real difference. Thanks are also due to Second Harvest Japan and all the volunteers and staff working on the ground.
Manu’s Menu will ship the Almond Cookies and Martorana to the two highest bidders for those items in the coming days. Special thanks to Tina of Pinay Cooking Corner and to Amy for their roles in this effort.
If you missed the bake sale but still want to contribute, donations are still being accepted via the campaign’s Give Forward page. There are many reputable nonprofit organizations working in Japan that welcome direct donations; I previously compiled a list of trusted options in my post titled “Japan – How we can help.” Another meaningful initiative is Paper Cranes for Japan, which donates $2 for each paper crane received and aims to collect 100,000 cranes. If you need instructions for folding a paper crane, there are helpful tutorials available online.
This experience has been a rewarding journey and a true community-building moment. It gave me the chance to connect more closely with many wonderful people. I’m proud and grateful to be part of such a generous and compassionate community.
Regarding our travel plans to Japan, we hope to resume them soon and aim to visit next spring. To the people of Japan: you are not alone. We are thinking of you and offer our solidarity and support.
Thank you once again,
Manu