New York, N.Y. Last weekend, Saturday, April 21, 2018, more than ten thousand entered the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park for cultural festival on perfect day overlooking Manhattan.
For the sixth year, the Roosevelt Island community – spearheaded by the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) with enormous support from the Roosevelt Island Operation Corp. (RIOC) and the F.D.R. Four Freedoms State Park – held its Spring Cherry Blossom Festival (“Omatsuri”).
This year more than 10,000 people attended, with the majority visiting from off-island. The Hon. Rebecca Seawright (NYS Assemblymember), Hon. Gail Brewer (Boro of Manhattan Pres.), and Hon. Masaru Sato (Japanese Dep. Consul General) attended. The groups Kicho Kai (shamisen), IchiFuji-Kai (trad. dance), Kayo Yoshioka (Japanese blues), R.I. Yosakoi (kids dance), and Soh Daiko (trad. drums) performed.
We will be delighted to bring Young Global Leaders who are part of our 2018 Summer Initiative to visit Ms. Seawright at her office and participate in a New York State Capitol Tour in Albany, New York this June, 2018. The Young Global Leaders will also receive leadership recognition from The New York State Assembly.
Jim Luce was Master of Ceremonies in English and Japanese, while J. Luce Foundation Executive Director Chloe Hoang (Vietnam), Orphans International World Exective Director Bix Luce (Thailand), with J. Luce Young Global Leaders Mathew Tendean Luce (Indonesia), Hoang “Hunter” Nguyen (Vietnam), Cesar Castro (Colombia), Phillip Matta (Peru), and volunteers Dino (Philipines) and Seihak Long (Cambodia) assisted.
