• March 23, 2011

Three powersports industry associations have joined to provide financial assistance to the relief efforts currently underway in Japan.

The boards and members of the Motorcycle Industry Council, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America are collectively donating $10,000 to the 2011 Japan Relief Fund. Each organization is encouraging its members to make their own contributions, as well and each organization's Web site has a link to the relief fund so that members and the riding community can easily make donations, per a joint release.

"Thanks to the support of our boards and the contributions of our members, the MIC, MSF and SVIA are able to make a substantial financial contribution to assist the people of Japan," said Tim Buche, president and chief executive officer of MIC, MSF and SVIA. "We also wanted to provide a way for the riding community to contribute, which is why we established Web site links."

MIC.org, rockmoto.com, motorcycles.org, MSF-USA.org, SVIA.org or atvsafety.org, each of which has a "2011 Japan Relief Fund" tab. Visitors are directed to Japan Relief Fund donation page on the Japan American Society of Southern California Web site.

The JAS-SC developed the 2011 Japan Relief Fund to garner funds to the victims of the earthquake. tsunami and crippled nuclear power plants.