The International Students Association is taking the lead to encourage students to help with Japan disaster relief. The club will put on several events and set up donation booths to benefit the disaster victims.

About 25-30 ACU students call Japan home and ISA felt compelled to help, said Sebastian Karlsson, senior theatre major from Linneryd, Sweden and ISA member.

“Some of them had family that were affected and some even had parents living in tents,” Karlsson said. “The proceeds from the booth are going to local churches in Japan that ISA members have connections with, then from there the church will handle how the money is distributed.”

Total donations so far amount to approximately $1,600, both from Campus Center donations and from individuals sending in money, said Asako Nemoto, junior theatre major from Ibaraki, Japan and ISA member.

ISA conducted the International Food Festival last week and donated the proceeds to an organization helping with Japan disaster relief.

ISA is planning to present at this month’s ArtWalk in downtown Abilene to raise more money for Japan, Nemoto said. ArtWalk takes place on the second Thursday of each month. Members will sell T-shirts on Thursday at the booths in the Campus Center. Global Samaritan Resources, a local nonprofit organization, will collect the proceeds and use them to send supplies to Japan.

“We don’t really have a goal amount,” Nemoto said. “Since ACU is a small community and far from Japan, we know the amount is little but we can still collect to help.”