Kinpachi Restaurant raises $2K-plus for C.O.R.E.

Kinpachi Restaurant marked its 35th anniversary this year with a fundraising event last Saturday at the Marianas Business Plaza in Susupe, raising about $2,867 that will go to the Community Outreach Recovery Efforts, or C.O.R.E., a group devoted to giving direct relief efforts and medical outreach to Typhoon Soudelor survivors around Saipan.

Mami Ikeda, main representative for the C.O.R.E group, said she is thankful to Kinpachi’s contribution, which she said would help the group purchase more items for their relief efforts.

“It was big support from Kinpachi, and it started when they were going to celebrate their 35th anniversary. Kinpachi owner Misako Kamata decided to give 100 percent of the proceeds to us and C.O.R.E thanks them for this contribution,” Ikeda said.

Saturday’s fundraiser feature special hot lunches such as katsudon, chicken teriyaki, chicken curry, yakitori grills, and taiyaki grills, as well as mochi for those wanting sweets. There were also free giveaways from 360 Restaurant and other sponsors.

The Saipan Awaodori Team and the CNMI Domatsuri dance group performed for the crowd that participated in the event.

Kamata told Saipan Tribune that they have been saving up for the celebration of their 35th anniversary prior to Typhoon Soudelor. However, after Soudelor laid waste to Saipan, Kinpachi decided to focus on providing service to the community.

“After Soudelor, we started making food for those at the shelter and later on to C.O.R.E., which has been delivering aid directly to those who needed it,” Kamata said. “This is our service back to the community for 35 years in business. They have kept us here on island for 35 years and Kinpachi is still open, so we are giving back as well.”

C.O.R.E.’s Ikeda also thanked Erick Van Der Maas, Eden, and 360 Marianas Business Plaza for allowing them to use the facility at such short notice.

Ikeda also said special thanks to Gordon I. Marciano for organizing, being the emcee and all the support he gave Kinpachi and C.O.R.E., as well as KKMP for the sound system, L.J. Castro and his team, all the dance teams and bands that performed, James-Carol Fleming and Team Exotic International for their job with traffic and crowd control throughout the event, Rep. Ed Propst and his team for the additional picnic tables, K-Mart for donating 25 cases of bottled water to be sold by Kinpachi, Island Best Choice team for donating 500 papaya soaps for giveaways, contributors who donated boxes of mosquito coil to C.O.R.E., which were used for special giveaway care packages; Power99, and Best Sunshine’s Tao Xing and his team for preordering 40 hot lunches.

“I also want to thank everyone who was there to support the good cause. You all made it happen,” she said. “Maximum ‘arigato’ to Misako, the Awaodori Team and the whole Kinpachi family for an awesome opportunity and their dedicated contributions to the community.”