Diamond Sponsors
Ruby Sponsors
Emerald Sponsors
Platinum Sponsors
- Jeff and Namy Folick
- Kawaguchi-Kihara Memorial Foundation
- Dennis & Lorraine Kimura & Bill & Christy Seki
- Rick and Patee Shinto & Family
- George & Lisa Sugimoto
Gold Sponsors
- Haruo Hayashi Family
- Frank & Betty Hiji
- Ken & June Shimabukuro
Silver Sponsors
- In loving memory of Tets Asato and Laura Asato-Tofukuji
- In memory of Shig Iba
- JA Health Insurance Services
- Frank and Sachie Kawana
- Kinecta Federal Credit Union
- Nikki Kodama and Family
- Pacific Global Investment Management Co.
- In memory of Norman Sagawa and Ellie (Eleanor) Ozawa
- Seki, Nishimura & Watase, LLP
- Terasaki Family Foundation
- Roy Yamaguchi
- Tokuji Yoshihashi
Kinecta Federal Credit UnionBronze Sponsors
- Terry & Gayle Hara
- Craig Ishii
- Derek & Polly Izumo
- Mitchell Maki & Cayleen Nakamura
- Jeff & Akiko Maloney
- The Sakai/Suzuki Family
- The Sosa/Matsuda Family
- The Mas Takahashi Family
- Justin & Staci Toji
- Ken & Candace Watase
Steel Sponsors (Community)
Patron
- Carelife Home Care
- Anthony & Jeanette Ishii
- Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
- Little Tokyo Service Center
- Ralph & Amy Matsumoto
- In memory of Robert Katsumi Mizumoto
- Richard & Masako Murakami
- Henry and Sanaye Nagami
- Yosh Nakamura & Family
- Dan Nishikawa
- In memory of Aki & Ray Nosaka and Mary & George Karatsu
- Michael & Margie Odanaka
- In memory of James M. Ogawa
- Jon & Angela Okino
- In memory of Hitoshi Sameshima
- The Don Seki Family
- Southern California Flower Market
Supporter
- Brian & Kim Chin
- Leiton Hashimoto
- Galen & Patricia Ho
- Laura Ichikawa
- Janet & Noriaki Ito
- Chip & Lisa Mamiya
- Mark Matsui
- George & Helen Nakano
- Nisei Veterans Legacy
- In Memory of Haru Nishimura
- David & Sandra Saika
- Joanne Sakai
- In Memory of William Sato, MD
- Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
- Ray & Judy Sugimoto
- In memory of Claude Takekawa
- David & Irene Tanji
Contributor
- Linda Hara & Victor Kato
- Danny and Doreen Haramoto
- In memory of Ed Ichiyama
- Marsha Kawasaki
- Katherine Lemon
- Judi Masuda
- Richard and Ann Mikami
- Arthur and Marjorie Mio
- In loving memory of Yoneto Nakada, WWII Army-MIS
- LTC Mark T. Nakagawa USA (Ret.)
- The Nakayama Family
- Colin & Colleen Sakamoto
- Kenneth Sato & Patricia Honda
- Susan Sekino
- Stuart and Janis Simon
- Gail Tanaka
- The Togashi/Chong Family in Memory of Hachiro "John" Togashi, E Company, 442nd RCT
- Danilo Torres
- Yamada Scott Family Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation
- David and Ellen Yamakawa
- In honor of Tokuji Yoshihashi
Friend
- Anonymous
- Kay & Mary Jane Fujimura
- Sam Fujinami
- John Furukawa
- In memory of Barney Hajiro
- Kyle Harimoto
- Gary Hongo
- Ken & Karen Kawaguchi
- Mike & Debbie Madokoro
- Bruce Naguwa
- Dean and Daisy Nakanishi
- Anita Nihei
- Laurence Omura
- Nancy Peterson
- Joyce Sadakane
- In memory of Richard & Cheri Sakai
- Naomi Suenaka-Der
- In memory of Masao T. Tanaka
- Belinda Madrid Teitel
- Lindsey Sugimoto
- Emiko Suyehiro
- In memory of Bob Takeshita, Company L
- In honor of Fred Wada
- Warren and Amy Yamamoto
JOIN US FOR A SPECIAL CELEBRATION & TRIBUTE!
Go For Broke National Education Center 19th Annual Evening of Aloha Virtual Gala
Saturday, November 14, 2020
4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. (PST) / 2:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. (HST)
“Thank-a-Veteran” Pre-Show begins at 3:45 P.M. / 1:45 P.M. (HST)
On www.goforbroke.org, Facebook & YouTube
Overview
In keeping with the spirit of community, family and sharing of stories, the annual Gala will incorporate the unique traditions of Evening of Aloha (EOA), honoring the Nisei (second-generation Japanese American) veterans of WWII, while keeping the safety of our communities in top of mind.
Featuring:
This year’s EOA will retain all the celebratory hallmarks that make this event a true community highlight. In addition to the “In Memoriam” Veteran Acknowledgment, GFBNEC 2020 Student Essay & Poetry Contest winners, the Gala will introduce special video elements of GFBNEC’s current and upcoming online programming series that explore the multi-faceted perspectives of the Nisei veteran story from within and beyond the Japanese American community. New this year, a “Living Nisei WWII Veteran Photo Tribute” which includes photos of veterans from across the nation, “Thank-a-Veteran” digital ads and GFBNEC Partners Roll Call.
Proceeds from this event will directly support GFBNEC’s new educational initiatives, including its expanded national outreach, enhanced online and social media presence and dynamic online programming to engage younger, more diverse audiences.
Living Nisei WWII Veteran Photo Tribute
One of the Evening of Aloha’s most treasured features is the in-person living veteran recognition on stage. At this year's Evening of Aloha Virtual Gala, 88 living Nisei WWII veterans from 90 to 102 years old and from 10 states will be featured in the first virtual photo tribute. Don't miss this special veteran recognition. See the full list below of participants for the November 14th event.
View the Veteran Photo Tribute List
Additional Acknowledgements
Gala Co-chairs
Cathy Tanaka, Fukui Mortuary, Inc. and Staci Toji, Esq., Toji Law APC
Partnering Veteran Organizations
100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Clubhouse, 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans Club-Mainland Chapter, Friends & Family of Nisei Veterans, Japanese American Veterans Association, Japanese American National War Memorial Court, National Veterans League, National Veterans Network, Nisei Veteran Memorial Center, Nisei Veterans Committee in Seattle Nisei Veterans Committee Foundation, Nisei Veterans Heritage Foundation, Nisei Veterans Legacy, Sons & Daughters of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, 442nd Veterans Club and Maui Sons & Daughters.
Special thank you to the National Cemetery of the Pacific and Hawai’i State Veterans Cemetery for their assistance with the “In Memoriam” listing.
“Thank A Veteran” Digital Ad Donors
Verna Abe, Gary and Cynthia Arakawa & Family, Larry Enomoto, Don, Ross and Laura Ichikawa, Yukiko Ichikawa & Family, Karen Karatsu Kennedy, Donna Kotake, Stella Miyamura, Florence Mizumoto and Family, Yoshio C. Nakamura Family, Julie Nakata and Walter Takeda, Newman/Baba Family, Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program, San Gabriel Nursery & Florist, The Don Seki Family, Chad Shimazaki, Luella Sufrin, Gail Takahashi, Scott and Susan Takahashi, James & Barbara Sato and Jimmy Miyoko, Nancy Wada-McKee and Joyce Yamane
Fund the Future
Kathryn Bannai, Lisa Eng-Beeman, David Fujioka, Viki Goto, Clement Hanami, Beverly (Toshi) Iba, Dennis and Lorraine Kimura, Kent Marume, Brandon Masuda, Stephanie Nagami, Julie Nakata and Walter Takeda, Bill, Christy and Kiana Seki, Susan Sekino, Ken and June Shimabukuro, Leatrice Taira, Lawrence Takahashi, Stephanie Tocci, Sharie Tom, Nanci Tsuchida, Patricia Wyatt, David and Ellen Yamakawa and Melanie Yamamoto
General Donations
Melissa W H Chee, Claudia DuFau ,Ann Enkoji, John Esaki & Amy Kato, Ann Hashisaka, Alan Hino, JoDee Hirota, Leung Jackie Ireland, Mae Isonaga, Darrell Kaneshiro, Peggy Koga, Lynn Miyamoto and Kevin Kroeker, Lonin Makabe Lew/Michi & Keimi Lew, Randy Lowell, Kristin Mamiya-Clyde Fukiko, Mae Morita Richard and Ann Mikami, Peggy Mizumoto, Susan Nakashima, Gil and Penny Nishimura, Walter Okitsu, Masako Sakata, Mike and Ann Shima, Tak and Sharon Shimazaki, Colleen Shishido, Lois Kohashi-Sinclair, Southern California Flower Market, Andrew Stranahan, Michi Tagawa, Tyler Takahashi, Mary Ann Takemoto, Jane Tamano, Paul Tamura, Catherine Tanaka, George and Shirley Tanaka, JoAnn Tengan, Howard Umehira, Michael P. Ward, Brian Wong, Margaret Yamamoto, Joyce Yamane, Barbara, Naomi, and Chiyoko Yamashita, Ronald & Shirley Yanagisawa and Margaret Yasuda
GFBNEC Student Essay & Poetry Contest Sponsors
In memory of World War II Veteran Masao “Mas” Takahashi - Anonymous
Ken and June Shimabukuro
In-Kind
Azay, Buttery Popcorn Co., Classic Florist/Rosa Solis, R&J Toffee and Yasukochi Farms
Media Sponsors
Volunteers
Ann Kabasawa, Kari Kadomatsu, Marsha Kawasaki, Sandi Khine, Cindy Kondo, Peggy Mizumoto, Cayleen Nakamura, Garrett Sagawa,
Nancy Sagawa, James Sato, Jennifer Tanji and Ethan Wong
Entertainers
Wade Inouye, Lauren Kinkade-Wong, Staci Toji and Brian Yamamoto
Consultants
Akira Boch, Lowell Edward, Travis Hatfield, John Maffe, Sreescanda Subramonian and
Janice Tanaka
Images provided courtesy of:
Jon Endow, Tracy Kumono, Jason Kusagaya, Shane Sato, Doug Urata and the
National Archives
As of November 17, 2020.
