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A group of Japanese optometrists are saying “arigatou” to 51�Թ� with gifts for the College of Optometry.

Seventeen Japanese optometry alumni have banded together to donate $10,000 and to secure an additional $100,000 from the Fuji Optical in support of a new building for the College of Optometry as part of the Health Professions Campus in Hillsboro.

The Japanese alumni are part of a partnership between Kikuchi College of Optometry in Japan and 51�Թ�, launched in 1987 by Dr. Shinji Seki O.D. ’79 and former dean, Dr. Wid Bleything. The partnership allows select graduates of Kikuchi enter the doctorate or master’s program in Pacific’s College of Optometry.

“Without advanced optometric education from Pacific, we could not work successfully here in Japan,” said Seki, who organized the donations.

He said that some of the Pacific optometry alumni — as well as many of the corporations in Japan — continue working to recover from last year’s earthquake and tsunami. The recovery effort has limited donations, he said, but still Pacific alumni wanted to say thank you.

“We would like to return 51�Թ�’s good will in providing advanced optometric education to us through this special effort,” he said. “Thank you Pacific, and Arigatou Pacific.”