2012 Nikkei Place Community Awards & Fundraising Dinner presented by Canadian Tire

On Saturday, September 22, 2012, the Nikkei Place Foundation will be holding its second annual Nikkei Place Community Awards & Fundraising Dinner at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.  Over 260 people from the community will recognize, congratulate, and thank the following community leaders for their selfless contribution in building a strong and vibrant Nikkei community at Nikkei Place:

Masako Hori (Community Service Award) has dedicated much of her time to providing cultural experiences to many people and introducing them to Japanese culture.  She has done this work at the Centre since it opened its doors.

Ken Yada (Special Events Award) and his family have made an exceptional contribution by holding the Nikkei Golf Classic for the last seven years.  Along with his good friend Henry Wakabayashi, they have raised over $100,000 to date and have introduced hundreds of people to Nikkei Place.

For 34 years, Saeko Tsuda (Leadership Award) has delivered news to Japanese-speaking people to help keep them in touch with current events, and helping them better understand and become a part of the Canadian societal fabric as president of the Vancouver Shinpo news publication.

Barbara Shishido and her late husband Wataru Shishido (Quiet Endeavour Award) are amazing people. During the capital campaign to build the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, they made an exceptional effort to raise much-needed funds from the community and inspired many people to do follow their lead.  While Wataru cannot be here with us today, his kind-hearted spirit fills the walls of Nikkei Place and will always be remembered.

Mary Ohara (Nikkei Heritage Award) helps people embrace their Nikkei heritage by showing them the beauty in Issei values of ganbari and gaman for the sake of the next generation. In her positive way, she educates people about Japanese Canadian history.

The Iwasaki Family (Philanthropy Award) has donated close to $200,000 to Nikkei Place. In fact, their family has a room named after them at New Sakura so, the “Iwasaki Room.” Their consistent philanthropy over the years is helping the sustainability of Nikkei Place and its programs and services.

The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre Auxiliary (Award of Distinction) has helped build a strong and vibrant Nikkei community and have helped maintain a spirit of goodwill within Nikkei Place. They have raised over $100,000 through community service; have created and run the Spring Bazaar, Mochitsuki and Farmer’s Market; and have built the Community Kitchen at Nikkei Place.

Grace Eiko Thomson (Japanese Canadian History and Preservation & Education) has made a significant impact on preserving Japanese Canadian history and educating the public about Japanese Canadian history. Her lists of accomplishments include curating three of the most important Japanese Canadian history exhibits to date: Re-shaping Memory; Shashin; and Levelling the Playing Field; founding of the Japanese Canadian National Museum; and being the key person in having the Asahi team recognized at the Canadian sports hall of fame.

At the event, our goal is to raise over $100,000 in support of programs and services at Nikkei Place. If you feel inspired by what these people are doing but are unable to attend, please consider making a gift in support of Nikkei Place by calling Nikkei Place Foundation at 604.777.2122. Thank you.