The 3.11 Japan Relief Concert helped raised $6,864 to aid Japan’s natural disaster victims.

The concert began with a moment of silence led by Richard Elegino, music director, conductor and concert organizer.

“I feel so happy that people generously came to the concert to help the people in Japan.”

The concert’s first piece was “Adagio for Strings.”

“The people in Japan like this music,” he said. “With this, maybe they can get positive energy and we send a message to them that we are here for them on the other side of the water.”

Also among the audience was Los Angeles County Fire Chief Gerald Heinzel, who has been a supporter of natural disaster victims.

“Our firefighters from Los Angeles County have gone over [to Japan] in a team of 74 individuals and we supported them with a search and rescue effort,” Heinzel said.

Among the 74 firefighters was Atsushi Uehara, firefighter specialist, who served his first deployment to Japan as a California Task Force Member.

Uehara and the other firefighters did not find any living people but found eight deceased.

“Seeing the devastation was phenomenal,” he said. “We were stationed in a small part of a town where a quarter of it was wiped out.

“We went to Kamaishi, another town that was completely wiped out by the tsunami,” Uehara said.

As Uehara stood there at base camp in Japan the effects that the earthquakes and tsunami had on people caused him to feel sorrow.

“That Friday [before departing], they told us we had to keep it down, because there was going to be a graduation that morning.

“As we were packing we looked up and asked ourselves, ‘Where are all the people?'” Uehara wondered about the graduates’ and their families’ whereabouts.

“Task force leaders  [approached] us and said, ‘Hey, thank you for keeping it down.’

“All of us wondered, ‘Did they still have the graduation?'”

Family members were not attending the school’s graduation because most families were lost due to the natural disasters.

Cerritos Mayor Carol K. Chen was humbled to host the event that was held at the Cerritos Park East.

“It was extremely meaningful to host this event, because not only was it spearheaded by our residents who put the concert together, but it was an opportunity for the community to come together to show our caring nature and generosity that we have always been known for.”

The city of Cerritos partnered with the Soles4Souls charity organization, and together they collected 2,000 shoes for Japan tsunami and earthquake victims.

Uehara felt the tsunami and earthquake effects closer to home as he has a sister that lives in Japan and family from Hiroshima Park.

Like Uehara, Elegino also aids the victims with his musical presence.

“I feel like I’ve done something, but I haven’t finished yet. There will be other concerts in other places, such as Pasadena,” Elegino said.