John: SUPER HONORED TO HAVE
THE REIGNING CHERRY BLOSSOM
QUEEN AND FIRST PRINCESS JOIN
US.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
LAUREN AND KAYLA.
I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WANT
EVERYBODY TO KNOW TELL US WHAT
THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL IS.
SO THE CHERRY BLOSSOM
FESTIVAL IS THE LONGEST STANDING
CULTURAL FESTIVAL IN HAWAI'I.
FOUNDED IN 1953 AND SPONSORED BY
JCC.
THE JAPANESE CULTURE.
John: PERFECT ANSWER.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THE
IS INVOLVED WITH THE CHERRY
BLOSSOM.
THE HONOLULU JAPANESE JUNIOR
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACTUALLY
SPONSORS THE CHERRY BLOSSOM
FESTIVAL.
IT STARTED IN 1949 BY 45 YOUNG
NISSEI OR SECOND GENERATION
JAPANESE-AMERICANS WHO WANTED TO
CONTINUE TO FILL THE VOID AFTER
WORLD WAR II.
THEY STRIVED TO TEACH MEMBERS
ABOUT THE JAPANESE CULTURE,
PROVIDE COMMUNITY SERVICE
EVENTS.
John: YOU'RE PERFECT
AMBASSADORS FOR THIS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE
THINKING ABOUT APPLYING.
AND THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE
FESTIVAL.
HOW CAN THEY DO THAT?
GO TO CBF HAWAI'I.com.
TOTO BE A CONTESTANT, YOU HAVE TO
BE AT LEAST 50% JAPANESE.
WE HAVE THE APPLICATION ON THE
WEBSITE.
IT'S BEEN EXEND EXTENDED.
John: THOSE THINKING ABOUT
IT, DO IT.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE BEEN
BE OG -- ON COURT, WE HAVE
THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO
TRAVEL.
SO FOR ME, I ENJOYED ATTENDING
THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AS WELL AS
THE OTHER EVENTS.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET
CHILDREN IN THE CLASSROOM, FOLD
ORRERY
ORIGAMI AND SHARE OUR LOVE AND
PRIDE FOR THE JAPANESE
EXPERIENCE.
John: BEING QUEEN?
THE FANTASTIC.
THERE ARE SISTER CHAPTERS ON THE
MAINLAND.
WE WANT TONORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
IN OBJECT OCTOBER WE GO TO JAPAN.
THE A YEAR'S REIGN BUT IT'S
BEYOND THAT.
THEY'RE ENTRENCHED IN THE
COMMUNITY.
I'M SURE YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD
TO A WONDERFUL FUTURE OF SERVICE
FOR THE COMMUNITY, YEAH?
ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS IS
THAT THE CHERRY BLOSSOM
FESTIVAL, THERE'S AN ALUMNI
ORGANIZATION.
AND IT'SED PAST PARTICIPANTS ARE
PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION.
YOU CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE BACK
TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND YOU GET TO MEET LEADERS OF
THIS COMMUNITY.
IT'S FANTASTIC.
John: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
IF THEY'RE NOT SURE.
I WANT TO.
WHAT WOULD YOU AT THE YOU TELL THEM?
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO
PARTICIPATE.
IT'S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME
EXPERIENCE.
FROM TAKING IKEBANA AND TAIKO.
YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND BE A PART OF
THE SISTERHOOD THAT LASTS BEYOND
YOUR REIN.
John: TELL EVERYONE HOW
THEY CAN BECOME A CONTESTANT AND
HOW THEY CAN APPLY TO BEING IN
THE. 68TH ANNUAL.
GO TO CPF.com.
BE AT LEAST 50% JAPANESE.
John: WE'LL HAVE A LINK ON
OUR WEBSITE.