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With the theme "Richness of the Past,
Strength for the Future," the event celebrated the contributions
of community organizations, churches and thousands of individuals
who have made Nikkei Concerns what it is today - a valued
community institution that carries forth a vision of deep
respect for elderly and their families. The event was an opportunity
to reflect on a quarter century of service. It was also a
time to remember the legacy of a group of dedicated community
members who in 1975 established Seattle Keiro, a nursing home
to meet the needs of Japanese elderly. The celebration was
also a time to marvel at the dynamic leadership that results
when Niseis, Sanseis and Yonseis work hand in hand to build
the future of the organization.
The evening began with fabulous Silent Auction,
organized by the Ayame Kai Guild. Row upon row of tables displayed
beautifully packaged items, ranging from gourmet baskets to
works by the area's premiere artists. Featuring nearly 350
items, the auction provided a lively forum for mingling -
and more than a few instances of friendly competition in the
rush to submit winning bids! As celebrants circulated to converse
with friends, they were entertained by a live pianist, and
admired the beautiful photographic panels created by local
artists Yoshiko Tsuji and Jeannette Takashima.
By the time the doors to the banquet hall opened at 6:30,
anticipation was high.
The Honorable Sharon Tomiko Santos, Washington State
Representative and the evening's Mistress of Ceremonies, kicked
off the evening's program with a warm welcome. The dynamic
sights and sounds of San Jose Taiko reverberated throughout
the banquet hall, and served to punctuate the high spirits
throughout the evening. Reverend Don Castro of the
Seattle Buddhist Church provided the invocation, and Bill
Nishimura, President of the Nikkei Concerns Board of Directors,
warmly greeted the celebrants in the filled-to-capacity hall.
To the delight of the audience, Governor Gary Locke
personally dropped by to extend his congratulations for the
occasion. More than fifteen elected officials from state,
county and city governments also attended.
As a sumptuous dinner of filet mignon and salmon
commenced, guests were entertained with Nikkei Concerns trivia
and a video presentation. Bea Kiyohara entertained
the crowd with descriptions of anshin, kimochi, tanoshimi.
Roughly translated, these three words mean "peace of
mind," "a deep caring feeling" and "pleasure
or contentment." These words, she explained, crystallize
the underlying philosophy behind everything that Nikkei Concerns
does.
Lori Matsukawa, King 5 Television News
Anchor, delivered the keynote address. Entitled "A Story
for All Generations," she began by sharing about her
lifelong passion for storytelling - one that was encouraged
by her own family's Kauai island "ghost stories."
She chronicled the journeys and struggles of the first generation
Issei, and the eventual establishment of Keiro Nursing Home
by a committed group of second generation Nisei to care for
their community's elders. To illustrate the importance of
intergenerational cooperation, she recounted a Japanese folktale
wherein a young orphan boy and an eccentric old man combine
forces to save their fishing village from an approaching tsunami.
The story, she explained, shows that the generations must
respect and value each other. From this story, she challenged
everyone to look to future, and ask more of themselves, especially
in the area of reaching out to other diverse communities.
She framed this call to service with a poignant tribute to
Jocelyn Thrash, a Keiro staff member whose spirit of
service lives on despite her untimely passing.
The founders of Issei Concerns, the forerunner
of Nikkei Concerns, were honored in a moving recognition ceremony.
Those in attendance were Sumi Akai, wife of late Glenn
Akai; Arlene Kadoshima, wife of late Harry Kadoshima;
Sally Kazama; Tomio Moriguchi; and Tosh Okamoto.
Dennis Yamashita, of the Board of Directors, presented
each with a plaque and thanked them for their vision. Founders
Henry Miyatake and Fred Takayesu were recognized
as well.
After a warm introduction by Tosh Okamoto, Jill
Nishi, member of the Board of Directors, announced the
launch of the Nikkei Concerns 25th Anniversary Endowment Campaign.
She acknowledged lead gifts from C.T. Takahashi, Henry
Daty, Perry Ko and Family and the Ayame Kai Guild totaling
more than $1.1 million. These gifts provide the initial seed
money for a $10 million endowment campaign goal to be realized
over the next seven years. The purpose of the endowment is
to secure the future of the organization for generations to
come. She encouraged the younger generation to see that "it
is now up to us" to honor those who built the organization
so that Nikkei Concerns continues to serve the community.
As the evening drew to a conclusion with a benediction
by Pastor Raymond Gosden of Faith Bible Church, it
was clear that few wanted the celebration to end. As Megumi
School and Community Children took the stage to perform
a rousing round of songs, one could not help but marvel at
the ethnic diversity of the dozens of young performers and
their mastery of the Japanese language. Each of them embodied
the spirit of the evening as Nikkei Concerns celebrated the
richness of the past and moved ahead with strength for the
future.
To view the photos from the 25th Anniversary
Celebration please click
here.
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