For the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Japan (March 11), Ypsilanti resident Toko Shiiki and French artist Nino Trentinella and students from the Ann Arbor Open School put together an international, collaborative fundraising art and music project to help child victims of radioactive pollution from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The funds will be used to help construct an orphanage, buy food radiation detectors, and create monitoring stations.

2012 is the year of the dragon (Water Dragon Year) - a guardian, ruler of oceans, and a symbol of transformation, victory and wealth. Ann Arbor participants in the fundraiser have contributed individually-created segments of a giant and colorful dragon that will travel around the world before arriving in Japan.

The artists created a size guide/template for the individual pieces that will be assembled into the long dragon and displayed on March 11 at 3:30-8 p.m. at Washtenaw Community College's Morris Laurence Building.

The Ann Arbor Open School students will sing along with an original rainbow dragon song, composed for the fundraiser event. A video will be recorded that will incorporate footage of similar events in other countries.

Participating musicians include: Michael Smith, October Babies, 16 More Miles, Dragon Wagon, The Afternoon Round, Dave Boutette, and Joe Kidd and the Sedition World Orchestra.

For more information, visit http://tokoshiiki.com/dragonprojectjapan.html.