BJAA August 2016

brightonjaa@gmail.com

www.bjaa.org

www.facebook.com/groups/261570728315

Hello Members!

I hope you all have been having a wonderful Summer and have been able to beat the heat!Summer is always full of fun and exciting activities, but we’re not quite done yet, so be sure to mark down the important upcoming dates in your calendars.

Important DatesAugust 27

Matsutake HuntingSeptember 17

Cultural Heritage DaysSeptember 30-October 2

Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple’s 100th year celebration

It’s that time of year again!

Please RSVP to Nicole Brookmanby Thursday, August 25th

so that we will know who to expect nicole.brookman@gmail.com

The BJAA will be going on it’s annual Matsutake mushroom hunt on Saturday, August 27th.

We will meet at the Starbucks on Highway 7 & I-25 at 5:30AM . From there, we will proceed to Ted’s Place for a

bathroom pit-stop then up to the Red Feather’s area. Bring a potluck dish to share, your mushroom hunting stick, a bag to

hold your mushroom finds in, a whistle so you don’t get lost, and don’t forget to wear layers!

September 17th is Cultural Heritage days at the Adams CO Museum. Walt Chikuma and Pat Fujisaki are leading the Japanese cultural

display. They request that any donated items come with your name marked on the item. Please contact Walt or Pati to ensure that your

donations will be in a secure location.

TRI-STATE/DENVER BUDDHIST TEMPLES

100TH

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT THE CELEBRATION CAN BE FOUND AT:http://tsdbt.org/web/100

Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples (TS/DBT) will celebrate their 100 Year Anniversary in 2016. Events and gatherings will be held throughout the year —culminating in a three-day celebration from September 30 through October 2, 2016.A Brighton Buddhist Church display table is being chaired by Walt Chikuma. It will include pictures, a DVD and storyboard of the history and timeline of the Brighton Buddhist Church.

The BJAA had 4 2016 graduates: Brian Horiuchi, Andrew Horiuchi,

Justin Kanda, & Kimiko Holmes.

Each of our graduates gave a well thought acceptance speech before

receiving their BJAA scholarship. It is always nice to hear how the club

has been able to influence the younger generations.

Justin KandaHi my name is Justin Kanda and I have volunteered at the BJAA Chow Mein dinner for 14 years. During my time volunteering for the Chow Mein dinner I have learned some valuable life lessons, such as hard work, teamwork, and helping others. The Chow Mein dinner has also taught me the importance of community. The heart and meaning off community, to me, is selflessness, to help one another beforehelping oneself and also to build bonds with others. These things are part of what has made me into the person I am today. I graduated from Brighton High School with a GPA of 3.4. While attending Brighton High I decided to play boys golf my freshman year. I went into it not knowing the game, since I’ve never played before. My goal was to make the varsity team my freshman year and then go to state my senior year. I was able to play in varsity tournaments my freshman year and missed going to state my senior year by

one stroke. I learned with hard work, determination and the support of my family and friends I can accomplish anything. After graduation I plan on attending college and pursuing my passion for nature photography.

I want to take this time to express my gratitude foreverything that the BJAA has done for me throughout my first twelve years of education. Thisfar, the BJAA community has served as a second family to me that has helped nurture and raise me to become the person that I am today. They say thatit takes a village to raise a child and in this case the village is the BJAA community. The BJAA has also helped to foster a greater appreciation for my cultural roots. By knowing where I come from, I am able to guide my life in a

way that reflects those who have come before and make them proud. I am proud to be going to school at the University of Colorado Boulder, continue my education and then become a contributing member of the BJAA or similar organizations.

Andrew HoriuchiEver since I was little, I remember going to the Chow

Mein Dinner. When I was younger, it was just a fun day. As I got older and started to do more, I learned

how much work it was. But, it never was exhausting or boring. There was always something to do and no

matter how much time I stood on my feet, I never lost that spring in my step. I loved how that felt. I hope I

can continue to volunteer there in the future. The importance of community is the support and backing

I have always had from the start. As I start down my own path, I know they will be there to help me. I hope that I might be able to join the club in the future to

help others feel the same support I do now. As I begin the next stage of my life, I now notice that almost all of the career paths I am considering lead me away

from Brighton. It will be difficult in the future for me to either visit or be in the club. I think that this is the case for many of the other teenagers like me, as they

begin to think about their futures. Although I may not have a solution, I hope that knowing the problem could help you solve it.

Brian Horiuchi

I have been a part of the BJAA for as long as I can remember. There was no indoctrination, no

interview, nothing. I just remember my mother dragging me to the middle of nowhere one

night to cut smelly shrimp with a group of old people I didn’t know at the time. Luckily, I know a

bit more about the BJAA than I did then and that group of old people isn’t just a collection of strangers

anymore; they are my friends, my family. After a while I came to recognize the Chow Mein Luncheon as an annual community

event, instead of a random evening where I was kidnapped by my own mother and forced into several hours of child labor. At first I kept to myself. I peeled my

shrimp, and when the tubs were all emptied, I got to eat a donut and go home. But as you all know, it is impossible to avoid conversation with the all too

welcoming people of this community. My peeling neighbor asked me my name, and what school I attended, and before I knew it, I had spilled everything but

my social security. Good think I was too young to even know what that was. After so many years of this, I was the one introducing myself and welcoming

new, timid volunteers. I remember preparing meal plates for the luncheon with a girl I had never met before, cut contrary to my younger self, I was the one to

spark conversation, thus gaining a new friend that day. This community has not only welcomed me with open arms, but also taught me to do the same by

others. Being a member of this community for so long has given me a support system, and I know that I am also a part of that support to others. Community is

something greater than the self. Empowering the group and the individual at the same time, helping both to grow and develop for the better. At least that is what this community has done for me. I hope I can take what I have learned in this community and share it with whatever circle of neighbors I land myself in,

in college, pursuing my career and who knows, I may very well return to this gangly bunch. These people have helped me grow into the young woman that I am (that could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it). Whether you took that last statement as a complement or an accusation, please know that I

will forever cherish the memories I have made here with this community of people. I hope that this circle of friends continues to grow, and that more young people will continue to experience the aspects of this community that I loved to

Kimiko Holmes

grow up with. Appealing to the interests of the youth is an important to achieving this goal. But since not everyone is hip with the jive, or knows how to make a relevant memes (I don’t know if that even registers with this group) it is up to us, the youth to reach out to our peers and encourage involvement. For a lot of people my age, they don’t even know how fulfilling of an experience it is to be a member of an organization like the BJAA. Others only really hunt and peck for volunteer hours for National Honor Society. By utilizing social media, not only posting to the BJAA Facebook page, but sharing the events to your own page so they are more public, you will draw more attention, more traffic and the community will grow. That may not have made sense to some people, so I reiterate the importance of the help of us young’uns. And as one such young’un, I aspire to help this and other communities grow through volunteerism and leadership as I carve my path through life. Again, I thank you all for making this possible and giving me a sound sense of community and support as I head out on my newest venture.

The BJAA would like to wish each of our graduates the best of luck as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. We know they will each do great things!

Mark Heidt, from the City of Brighton Parks and Recreation Development, asked our club for assistance in making a presentation to the Adams County Open Space Committee. He had requested that letters of support be presented, along with his presentation, to ask the Adams County Open Space Committee for a $16,000 grant. This grant would be for the creation of a master plan for the BJAA Park. An email went out to BJAA members requesting the letters of support.

IF approved, the BJAA will be heavily involved in the design and process for upgrading the current BJAA Park. Since the park has the BJAA name, it is important that we maintain a strong club presence as it will be a reflection of our club. As soon as we hear the results, we will communicate it to all members.

A big thank you to all of you who submitted letters of support. We appreciate your quick cation and attention .

BJAA Park & the City of Brighton Parks and Recreation Development

Member Feature

BJAA siblings, Alan and Kristy Tochihara, along with friends and teammates, Ceal Barry and Bill Tai, recently won the Colorado-Japan Charity Golf Tournament! The annual golf tournament supports the education programs of both JASC and JFA. Kristy’s company, Trailhead Wealth Management, along with Sakata Farms, were both sponsors of the event. The JASC is a non-profit organization established in Colorado in 1989. Their mission is to strengthen cooperation and build understanding

between Colorado and Japan at a grassroots level. They provide programming in business, education and culture that link our two cultures. The Japanese Consulate was present at the tournament and the awards ceremony.

Check out that huge trophy!Congratulations to you both!