It’s been a big weekend for Austin Bakes for Japan. Late Friday afternoon we received our first online donations to AmeriCares, and yesterday sushi chef Kayo Asazu translated our volunteer announcement and press release into Japanese. Kayo and her restaurant, Sushi-A-Go-Go, have already supported our bake sale with a pledge of $100 for AmeriCares, so this translation is truly above and beyond.

It goes without saying that a Japanese translation of our PSA is a huge step for us. It will allow Japanese speakers in Austin to participate in the bake sale, either by baking, volunteering or by making a donation. It also helps unite many communities across the city for a common goal: making a difference in the lives of survivors in Japan. The full text of Kayo’s translation is available as a PDF document here.

As if Kayo hadn’t helped enough, she is working as a volunteer translator this week to give instructions to Japanese-speaking bakers in advance of the sale, and she will be collecting baked goods from Japanese-speaking families who are unable to attend the sale in person. If you’d like to say thank you to Kayo, you can meet her at the West Austin bake sale location after 2 PM next Saturday. She’ll be stopping by with Sushi-A-Go-Go’s gift, and with a delivery of Japanese baked goods from volunteers across the city.

If you’d like to join Kayo and our other volunteers to help with the bake sale, send us an email. We’re still looking for volunteer help, supplies, corporate support, matching gifts, and most importantly, lots and lots of delicious baked goods to sell.