Assemblyman Warren Furutani, D-Long Beach, recently presented a $10,000 check toward Samoan relief efforts at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Furutani and Assemblymen Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, and Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, delivered the check and donations of cash, toys, food and hygiene items collected by the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, which Furutani, who is Japanese American, chairs.
American Samoa and the Samoa Islands sustained an 8.2 magnitude earthquake and a series of tsunamis Sept. 29. The harbor-area 55th Assembly District, which Furutani represents, is home to one of the nation's largest Samoan populations outside of the Pacific.
At the CSUDH press conference, June Poeusi, executive director of the Office of American Samoan Affairs and a former Republican Congressional candidate who lost to Rep. Laura Richardson, announced that a portion of the items collected would be donated to the Philippines, which sustained two separate natural disasters within days of the tsunami in America Samoa.
The Intranational Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 13 is working with shipping companies to secure free transportation of collected items to the islands.
In addition, Richardson, D-Long Beach, arranged for some of the donations to be delivered via a Long Beach-built Boeing C-17 airlifter.
Those interested in contributing to the relief effort can visit www.helpsamoa.com, or call 310-538-0555.
