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Mary Graybill, APR, Fellow PRSA,
Graybill Communications
310-441-2899
mary@graybillcom.com
20th Anniversary Celebration Honors Nisei Soldiers
Annual Evening of Aloha gala dinner, tribute to World War II heroes set for Nov. 14
TORRANCE, CA (Sept. 28, 2009) – Go For Broke National Education Center (GFBNEC) is planning a special 20th Anniversary Celebration that will open with a tribute to Nisei or second-generation Japanese American soldiers. As the nonprofit organization honors these legendary World War II heroes at its annual Evening of Aloha gala dinner, it will also celebrate its 20 years of keeping the Nisei soldiers' legacy alive and making their story known. Invitations have been mailed for the event, which will be held at the Hilton Anaheim, 777 Convention Way, Anaheim, CA on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009.
The evening's program will focus on GFBNEC's video oral history program or Hanashi, a Japanese word that means “story” or “to talk.” Since establishing the Hanashi program in 1998, GFBNEC has built it into the largest oral history archive of its kind and has completed more than 1,000 interviews. As the Nisei veterans reach their 80s and 90s, the urgency of collecting the oral histories has become immediate. More Hanashi interviews are planned for the coming year but the number of possible oral histories dwindles with each passing day.
As guests enjoy the Evening of Aloha, they'll dine on foods prepared by celebrated chefs Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's Restaurants worldwide and Charles Phan of San Francisco's Slanted Door, followed by a scrumptious dessert from King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant. They'll be entertained by Grammy-award winners Daniel Ho and Tia Carrere and charmed by master of ceremonies Gordon Tokumatsu, an Emmy-award winning reporter for Channel 4 News on NBC4 in Los Angeles. Evening of Aloha also includes a popular silent auction before dinner and an opportunity drawing for a brand-new 2010 Lexus HS 250h, the first luxury hybrid sedan. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. and Union Bank are this year's title sponsors. Marshall Ozawa, Vice President, Union Bank is event chairman.
Evening of Aloha tickets have sold out every year and banquet rooms have filled to capacity with more than 1,200 veterans, volunteers, elected officials, military leaders and others attending the events. Information, invitations and sponsorship information are available from Julia Tominaga, 310-222-5710 or Julia@BoForBroke.org. Evening of Aloha tickets and information are also available on the GFBNEC website, www.goforbroke.org.
GFBNEC teaches the American story of the Nisei veterans' bravery, honor, leadership, loyalty, patriotism, sacrifice and values through education and preservation programs. In addition to Hanashi oral histories, GFBNEC's work includes the American Story Teacher Training Program, a Resource Center, interactive educational initiatives and the Go For Broke Monument located in the Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles. In addition to Evening of Aloha reservations, resources including oral histories, lesson plans, historical content and membership, are available by clicking on the GFBNEC website at www.goforbroke.org. >Go back to PRESS RELEASES
