Get Your Runnin' Shoes On!

Nakayoshi has been asked to help recruit some Bay Area runners! If you're in the bay on Saturday, May 9th and have nothing better to do, tie on your best running shoes and get a little exercise while helping out one amazing nonprofit in Marin.

A nonprofit that provides deserving under served students with all the tools and resources needed to get into levels of higher education and become amazing student leaders, Next Generation Scholars is participating in this year's 27th Annual Marin Human Race.

The Marin Human Race is one of the largest collaborative fundraising efforts to both nonprofits and schools in Marin County, and estimated to be attended by over 4,000 people.

How can you help Next Generation Scholars?

Be a runner!

Register today (before Friday, May 1st) as a runner for only $25 or if you can't make it but would like to support this amazing nonprofit, make a personal monetary donation on the NGS Marin Human Race page.

It's a simple race for an amazing cause, so show your support and help pave the road to someone's future in higher education!

For more questions regarding the race or NGS's programs, please contact NGS Project Coordinator Megan Tom at megan.tom@gmail.com.

Information on Marin Human Race:

Schedule of Events:

Marin Human Race Date and Time:
Saturday, May 9, 2009

7:00 AM Same Day Registration
7:30 AM Community Fair Opens
8:30 AM Race START
9:30 AM Kid Races START
10:00 AM Prize Drawings and Awards
11:30 AM Event Concludes

The Race - The Marin Human Race starts and finishes at Marin Center Fairgrounds. The mostly flat American Track and Field certified looping 5K course is FUN for everyone from the avid racer to walkers and rollers. Over a dozen local bands are placed around the race course to help keep spirits high and legs moving.

Community Fair - The Race Day Community Fair brings together over 100 nonprofit organizations and supporting businesses. Located steps from the Finish Line and the Main Stage, Race participants and spectators have the opportunity to meet a variety of organizations to learn what type of work is being done in the community and how they can get involved. The Community Fair features fun activities for people of all ages, entertainment, refreshments, a kids’ playground, and more!

May Volunteer Event

Kristi Yamaguchi's

Children's Day Festival in Japantown

May 2, 2009

Nakayoshi will be selling SPAM MUSUBI at the Children's Day Festival in Japantown Peach Plaza. We are now recruiting volunteers! We need 8 volunteers:

• 3 volunteers to make rice at JCCCNC & bring to booth
• 2 volunteers to make musubi
• 2 volunteers to package musubi
• 1 volunteer to handle cash

If you are interested in volunteering please email Ali: nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com

THANK YOU!

Nakayoshi Monthly Update - April 2009

March has quickly come and gone and boy did we have a busy month! But April may top the cake as Nakayoshi hits it into high gear this spring, starting off with San Francisco’s 42nd Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in the heart of Japantown!

Check out all the exciting events and socials coming up and mark your calendars! Come out in your spring best and get involved! Our committees have been working hard to make sure that we’ve got plenty to do over the next few weeks and we could always use the extra hands!

We hope to see you around soon!

In this update:
04/11-12, 04/18-19/09 – 42nd Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival
04/25/09 – Monthly Social: Hiking @ Purisma Creek
04/26/09 – Volunteer @ San Jose Japantown’s Nikkei Matsuri

05/02/09 - Volunteer @ Kristi Yamaguchi’s Children’s Day Festival
05/02/09 - Nakayoshi Monthly Meeting (time change)

Save the Date – More information to come in May’s Update!
05/15/09 – JA Heritage Night w/the SF Giant’s
05/16/09 – 5th Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration
05/17/09 – South San Francisco's Asian American Heritage Celebration

April 11, 12 & 18, 19, 2009: 42nd Annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival

The 42nd annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the most beautiful festivals in the city! Continuing our efforts in bringing community groups together in the spirit of unity, the festival has become a beloved part of SF’s rich cultural history and an event that encompasses the many facets of the Japanese American community. In light of this year’s festival theme Nikkei Spirit, we celebrate the beauty of the JA community through a great display of Japanese cultural heritage and pride.

Look for Nakayoshi’s booth, in partnership with the National JACL and the SF JACL Chapter and say hello! Grab a delicious teriyaki burger, shop all the amazing vendors, see all the exhibits and if you don’t have plans for Saturday night, go watch as we crown a new 2009 Cherry Blossom Queen at their Coronation program starting at 6 pm.

Saturday, April 25, 2009: Monthly Social – Hiking @ Purisma Creek

Nakayoshi’s Social Committee has worked hard to organize an amazing hiking adventure! We’ll be venturing over to beautiful Half Moon Bay and taking in the sights at one of Norcal’s most beautiful coastal spots! Bring your own lunch and enjoy a day out in the sun, walking through nature and relaxing on the beach. For more details on Hiking at Purisma Creek, check it on our blog!

For more information on this month’s social or how to get involved with the Social Committee, email nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com.

Sunday, April 26, 2009: Monthly Volunteer – San Jose Japantown’s Nikkei Matsuri
For our members in the South Bay area, our friends in the West Valley JACL Chapter has asked Nakayoshi to help volunteer at their Strawberry Shortcake booth @ the Nikkei Matsuri in San Jose’s Japantown. Check out more information on Nikkei Matsuri on their website: www.nikkeimatsuri.org/

There are 3 shifts and they are looking for a minimum of 5 volunteers per shift. The times are as listed:
1st shift: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
2nd shift: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
3rd shift: 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm

And if there are any super volunteers, they need extra hands slicing and washing strawberries from 7:00 am – 10:00 am @ San Jose Buddhist Church Kitchen. To sign up for this month’s volunteer event or for more information, email nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com.

Saturday, May 2, 2009: Kristi Yamaguchi’s Children’s Day Festival

Join Nakayoshi as we volunteer and host the Spam Musubi Booth at the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC)’s annual Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day) Festival. In recognition of Japan’s national holiday to celebrate children, the JCCCNC presents an annual festival that includes entertainment, food & hand-on craft activities for children!

Volunteer shifts and information coming soon! Find out more on JCCCNC's website: http://www.jcccnc.org/

Sunday, May 2, 2009: April Monthly Meeting

Hopefully we’re not too tired from volunteering @ Kodomo no Hi, because we're being ambitious and holding our April Monthly Meeting right after our volunteer event. With April weekends full of events, we’ve sneaked our April meeting into May! Have ideas for fun socials or volunteer opportunities?

As always, we'd love to see new and old faces at our monthly meeting to give us feedback and help us plan future Nakayoshi events and activities! Come on out and get involved!

Date: Sunday, May 2nd, 2009
Location: National JACL Headquarters, 1765 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115
Time: 5:00pm-8:00pm (dinner included)

All Nakayoshi events are free and open to anyone unless otherwise noted. Feel free to forward this message along to your friends or anyone interested. Not on the Nakayoshi e-mail list? Click here to subscribe. Have questions? Want to sign up or RSVP for an event? E-mail Nakayoshi at nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com. For additional information and updates, be sure to check the Nakayoshi blog and website and http://www.nakayoshi.org, or find our group page on Facebook! Nakayoshi is a program sponsored by the Northern California Western Nevada Pacific District of the Japanese American Citizens League.

What's in an (asian american) name?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6365320.html

April Social Event - Sat 4/25/09 - Hiking at PurismaCreek

Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying the warmer weather. Come out and join Nakayoshi on Saturday 4/25/09 for our monthly Social event in Half Moon Bay. Here's the meeting location per Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=higgins+canyon+road+at+main+st+half+moon+bay+ca&sll=37.464384,-122.437563&sspn=0.009078,0.019226&ie=UTF8&ll=37.451456,-122.429388&spn=0.009079,0.019226&z=16&iwloc=addr

If you need a ride or have room in your car, please email me so I can coordinate carpools. FYI the location is about an hour from SF, Oakland, and San Jose. Due to lack of cell phone coverage in the hills, we'll initially meet at the corner of Main St & Higgins Canyon Rd, just off of Hwy 1 - at 9:45am. Then drive up together to the trailhead (about 10 minutes up Higgins Caynon Rd).

*Please call me if you are running late or have to cancel last minute*

We'll start the hike around 10am and should last about 3-3.5 hours. Bring your own lunch and snacks and so can all eat somewhere near the top while we take a rest. This page has detailed info on the hike: http://www.bahiker.com/southbayhikes/purisimahiggins.html (the trails are clearly marked)

Although the event officially ends after the hike, we can hit up the beach afterwards to relax before heading back to our respective locations. Here's the site for the beach: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=531This is optional, but the easiest way to get to the beach is to head back up North on Hwy 1 and take a left at Kelly Ave follow that all the way to the parking lot.

Items to bring:
-Lots of water (~1.5-2 liters)
-Lunch, snacks to eat at the top
-Sunblock (trail is mostly shaded, but some exposed areas)

It should be fairly warm on the trail so you should be okay with a t-shirt, but conditions can change. You might want to wear layers if the weather's less than ideal.

Please contact Atsushi if you have any questions or comments: nakayoshi.ncwnp@gmail.com. Hope to see you all out there!