Claire's Japanese Exchange Trip

Hi! My name is Claire Jaconette.  I'm in the 8th grade at Dewitt Junior High.   I was recently selected to take part in the DeWitt-Koka Junior High School Exchange.  DeWitt's sister city is Koka, in the Shiga Prefecture of Japan.  The Japanese kids will be here in January and we will go there in March.   I, along with 9 other classmates, will spend a week in Shiga. Students were chosen based on oustanding responsibility and character.  
We will attend their school, learn about their culture, take several tours of various landmarks and historical sites (and of course check out all of those vending machines that have crazy things in them like umbrellas and bread in cans!!).  It really is a chance of a lifetime to take this trip.  I have been studying Japanese for over a year now and am excited to apply what I have learned, and promote friendship and understanding among Japanese and American students.  

This trip is costly and it will be a sacrifice for my family to allow me to go.  I am asking for your help.  I don't want to miss out on the amazing opportunity. Their culture is so different than ours and I would love to see it for myself.

I hope to get enough money raised by Thanksgiving.

Thank you for your generosity!!

Claire Jaconette