The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival’s staff, Board of Directors and Operations Committee extend sincere condolences and a message of hope for anyone who has family and friends impacted by the terrible devastation in Japan from the Tohoku Kanto Earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

We have welcomed the involvement of the Japanese and Japanese American communities at CDBF since our very first year in 2001, and our hearts go out to the people and government of Japan.

This year we will be featuring Japan as one of our spotlight countries in Gateway to Asia during the festival. We hope Gateway to Asia will be a tribute to Japan’s recovery and the resiliency of its people. One of the community organizations helping to organize this area’s exhibits and demonstrations is the Consul General of Japan’s Denver office and they suggest making donations directly to the Japanese Red Cross Society on its English language page.

They also suggest making donations to the Japan America Society of Colorado (JASC) who have created an Earthquake Relief Fund where you can show your support and contribute online.

The Consulate in Colorado was opened in 1999 and the office is a hub for people interested in Japan, as well as Japanese who work or are traveling in this region. The Japan America Society was formed in Boston in 1903 as a way to build bridges between Japan and the United States. The Japan America Society of Colorado was formed in the 1980s and has helped create strong economic and cultural ties across the Pacific.

We urge you to donate at either website (no amount is too small) and keep Japan in your thoughts, hopes and prayers.

If you’re wondering what gambare means, it’s a Japanese phrase of encouragement that means "persevere despite the circumstances."