Tonari Gumi’s New Executives and Board Members for 2012

Following Tonari Gumi’s Annual General Meeting on February 25th, the newly elected Tonari Gumi Board of Directors met on March 12th to elect the new executive team for 2012 as follows:

Chair: Joji Kumagai

Well-known for his active involvement in the relief efforts following last year’s Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and a former Tonari Gumi executive director;

Vice-Chair: Heidi Hamano

An accredited mortgage professional and a long-time volunteer in Tonari Gumi’s family drop-in program;

Secretary: Leslay Fugeta

Formerly involved in resort management and with VANOC during the Olympics whose parents have been long-term Tonari Gumi supporters;

Treasurer: Gregory Todd
Greg Todd
Retired after a 35 year career in banking who became involved with Tonari Gumi after chairing the organizing committee to honour the service of the Franciscan Sisters to the Nikkei community.


We also wish to congratulate and welcome three new members to the Tonari Gumi Board of Directors for 2012. They are as follows: Lurana Kikko Tasaka, KC Sato, and Gregory Todd. For more information on the New Board of Directors, please click here: Board of Directors

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TG’s Annual General Meeting on Feb. 25th

Tonari Gumi will be holding its 2012 Annual General Meeting on Saturday, February 25 starting at 1:00 p.m. at 511 East Broadway. This is your opportunity to find out about Tonari Gumi’s plans for the future, elect a new Board of Directors and to receive an update on our new building plans. In particular, we really need the thoughts and opinions of those who are participating and volunteering in Tonari Gumi programs and activities. This is your chance to make your voice heard and to contribute to Tonari Gumi’s continued growth. As you need to be a paid member for 2012 in order to vote or stand for election, please renew your memberships now or do so at the time of the meeting. Attendance numbers are also important for grant applications, so please come out!

If you want to find out about who will be running for positions on the Tonari Gumi Board of Directors, please click on the following link.New and Proposed Director Bios

Tonari Gumi Volunteers are what makes TG Special.

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TG Coffee House this Saturday, Feb. 18th

Yasuko Yamazaki accompanied by Martin Kobayakawa and Sean Gunn at the Nov. 2011 Coffee House


Anyone interested in a casual concert featuring Japanese and Japanese-Canadian musicians are invited to our upcoming Tonari Gumi Coffee House on February 18th (Saturday). Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the concert is from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Admission is by donation (about $5.00 is suggested).

Featured this time will be Tae Maeda on the piano, Kenn Nakamine on bass and lead jazz vocalist, Ikuko May; the classical guitar duet, FiddleStix, with Janet Noade and singer-songwriter and B.C. fiddle champion, Cary Grigg: Natura with Atsushi Maejima and piano accompanist, Akihisa Otsu; and for the last time before they return home to Japan, the band, The Islands. Light refreshments will also be served. See you there!

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Special Kimono Sale {Kimono Ichi}

On Saturday, March 24 from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. we will be holding a special kimono sale at the Tonari Gumi building (511 East Broadway, Vancouver). Thanks to the relatives and friends in Japan of our members and volunteers who have donated their used kimonos and other accessories to Tonari Gumi, this will be a very unique opportunity to purchase many hard to find Japanese clothing and decorator items. There will also be kimono accessories (such as obis, zori, haori, etc.), Japanese dolls and other traditional items for sale. By attending and purchasing items, you will be supporting Tonari Gumi and its vision of helping the seniors and others within our community who need assistance. Plan to be there!

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Tonari Gumi’s Senior Outreach Visit the CBC

On January 25th, Tonari Gumi’s “Senior Outreach Group” visited the CBC’s newsroom in downtown Vancouver. They participated in a guided tour of the CBC’s facilities, seeing where they produce radio programs and the evening and late night tv news programs.  They were  able to see the set used for the tv news programs and even meet some of the weather forecasters and others they see each day on the screen. On leaving, they were each given a CBC pin as a souvenir of the visit.

Tonari Gumi Seniors Departing for the CBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

TG Seniors Gathered Around their CBC Guide

 

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