As I am sure many readers out there are aware of the devastating disaster that has and is continuing to plague Japan at this time, it is always nice to learn of companies willing to donate towards those suffering. In an open letter posted on their Facebook discussion page, Bill Swartz, President, CEO, and Head Woof of Mastiff, wrote:
Mastiff’s thoughts are with the millions affected by the immense disaster suffered by Japan this weekend. I am relieved to report that Mastiff’s staff and friends in Tokyo are all safe and accounted for.
The United States and Japan have accomplished great things together. The videogame industry in particular owes much of its success to the partnership of our two countries. Our work at Mastiff would not be the same without our Japanese employees, partners, and supporters.
I have loved Japan since before my first visit there in 1977. My wife, and my second language, are Japanese. I have spent more than 12 years of my life in that great country. I owe my career to the Japanese games industry, which gave me my first job out of college, working in product design for Koei (now called Techmo Koei Games), located outside Tokyo in Yokohama. The Japanese industry continued to support me during a ten year stint as Managing Director at Activision Japan, a subsidiary of US game publisher Activision.
I hope that you will join Mastiff and me personally in helping Japan’s recovery. In addition to the funds that Mastiff and I are personally contributing already, Mastiff pledges that for every 100 people who friend us on Facebook between now and the end of April, Mastiff will donate $100 to the Red Cross for Japan relief, up to $25,000. The Mastiff Facebook page can be seen at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mastiff/198432740174274
If you would like to make a direct donation to help the people of Japan, the New York Times has a list of recommended charities. It can be found here http://tinyurl.com/6jt7xey If you would like to help the animals affected by the tragedy, I can personally vouch for the good work done by an organization called Animal Rescue Kansai. Please see their website at http://www.arkbark.net/ for information on the organization and how to donate by bank wire or PayPal.
Most Sincerely,
Bill Swartz
With all the negative news that has come from the Bioware/EA problem, knowing that there is a company out there helping those in need is refreshing. Not only has Mastiff and Bill Swartz donated towards this cause, but they are also donating $100 for every 100 likes they get on their Facebook page to a total of $25,000. While some feel that this is a cheap marketing ploy, others are more than willing to click that one little button. I say kudos to Mastiff, and everyone, who has taken the time to donate and help Japan in their time of need.
[Source: GameInformer]
