Updates
Las Vegas Bowling 2010!
2nd Annual Sansei Legacy BoLA-thon
Sansei Legacy and the Budokan of Los Angeles (BoLA) are hosting the Second Annual Sansei Legacy Invitational Bowling Tournament.
All proceeds from this charity tournament will again benefit the BoLA, to be constructed in downtown Los Angeles.
Budokan of Los Angeles (BoLA), a project of Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), is planning to develop a 4-court, multi-purpose sports and activities center in Little Tokyo, just east of Downtown Los Angeles. The project will provide recreational and educational activities for youth and seniors, the growing local residential population and the greater Los Angeles area.
Little Tokyo is one of only three remaining historic Japantowns in the United States. For the past several decades, Little Tokyo and its surrounding areas have been classified as economically distressed, however, they were once considered active and vibrant neighborhoods. In recent years, however, a revitalization movement has emerged to bring new visitors and residents to Little Tokyo. Overall, the development of BoLA will provide a boost to this revitalization effort and will fulfill many goals, which include:
• Economic Revitalization: serving as a major tournament space and hosting various leagues will bring thousands to Little Tokyo on a weekly basis.
• Cultural Preservation: the facility has been seen as a model project to draw young people back to Little Tokyo and reconnect them to their roots.
• Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Living: with very little green space and recreation centers in the area, the facility will provide a space for youth and seniors to engage in physical activity on a regular basis.
CRA/LA and Budokan Team Up
The Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA) has pledged their support for the Budokan of Los Angeles project and, through a series of planning meetings, have assisted Budokan Staff prepare an application for Prop 84 funding.
Prop 84 funding, allocated by the City of Los Angeles, has a maximum reward of $5MM.
Recipients of the Prop 84 funding will be announced sometime during the summer.
BoLA-Thon!!!
Las Vegas bowling tournament raises over $10,000 to the Budokan of Los Angeles project!
The South Bay 76ers and the South Bay Shooting Starz, two local basketball teams, hosted the First Annual Sansei Legacy charity bowling tournament to raise awareness and funds for the upcoming recreation center in Little Tokyo.
On Saturday, August 15th, over 250 people took part in the First Annual “BoLA-Thon”, a bowling tournament and fundraiser for the upcoming Budokan of Los Angeles (formerly known as the Little Tokyo Recreation Center). The tournament, held at Sunset Station’s Strike Zone Bowling Center in Henderson, Nevada, took place during the Hollywood Dodgers basketball tournament. The event raised more than $10,000 and introduced many families to the BoLA project.
The BoLA-Thon was sponsored by the Sansei Legacy Group of Southern California, a group dedicated to assisting the JA community by providing grants to worthy projects, events and groups. By sponsoring the cost of the bowling, the participants were allowed to donate directly to BoLA.
The bowling tournament, divided into two sessions, included three separate raffle drawings with prizes ranging from autographed LeBron and Kobe basketballs to Laker/Clipper tickets and Britney Spears concert tickets. “Both the bowling tournament and the raffles were a huge success and the feedback from the participants was great,” said Silvia Yoshimizu, a member of the BoLA staff, “The Budokan of Los Angeles is extremely fortunate to have the support of groups like Sansei Legacy”.
The BoLA, a 40,000-square foot sports and activities center, will be located on the west side of Los Angeles Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets. The sports and activities center will host major basketball, volleyball and martial arts tournaments, and will serve as a local community center for ongoing activities.
The BoLA-Thon consisted of 28 teams from the greater Los Angeles area, representing local basketball organizations like FOR, Tigers, Pasadena, OCO, VFW, Venice, Norwalk, and GEO. Participants ranged in age from 5 to 50+.
Originally a team gathering, the BoLA-Thon has now expanded to a full-fledged charity fundraising event. "Last year, we wanted to do something different that would be fun for the kids and we ended up with 80 participants. This year, we decided to expand and do it for charity. The amount of interest and size just kept growing. Next year, we hope to get to 300!", said Mark Doi of Sansei Legacy.
The Budokan of Los Angeles is a project of LTSC Community Development Corporation, a non-profit community-based organization, which has been providing services for over 29 years to the greater Los Angeles community. Programs include but are not limited to: assistance for victims of domestic violence, support groups, child abuse and neglect outreach, emergency food and shelter assistance, affordable housing, and community redevelopment.
OFFICIAL RESULTS (Session 1)
Team
First Place: Pasadena Bruins Thunder
Second Place: FOR Wildcats
Boys
First Place: Noah House (South Bay Lightning)
Second Place: Paul Matsumoto (Pasadena Bruins Thunder)
Girls:
First Place: Kylie Okamoto (FOR Wildcats)
Second Place: Kamryn Yaris (FOR Wildcats)
OFFICIAL RESULTS (Session 2)
Team
First Place: FOR Wizards
Second Place: South Bay 76ers
Boys
First Place: Chad Ashimine (FOR Knights)
Second Place: Brian Tadakoro (FOR Nets)
Girls:
First Place: Riki Murakami (Tomodachis)
Second Place: Alyssa Ogata (Sparkler Tigerettes)
winner #1 - Kobe Bryant signed basketball
winner #2 - LeBron James signed basketball
The BoLA Loves Casual Fridays
David Duong, a former Omega who is currently working at Singer Lewak Accountants and Consultants, organized a fundraiser in support of the Budokan that raised $425.
Every month, Singer Lewak holds "Charitable Casual Fridays", in which employees are asked to donate to a charitable cause in exchange for dressing down. This month, with the help of Mr. Duong, Singer Lewak selected the Budokan of Los Angeles as the recipient of the monthly fund.
Mr. Duong and Mr. Lewis Sharpstone stopped by the offices to drop off the donation. Huge thanks to David, Lewis, and everyone at Singer Lewak who didn't mind spending a little to dress a bit more comfortably! The BoLA really appreciates your generosity!
From Left: Scott Ito, David Duong, Lewis Sharpstone, Bill Watanabe
Wat Misaka Returns to the Garden
On August 10th, the New York Times ran a story on the Wat Misaka.
Mr. Misaka returned to Madison Square Garden for the first time since he played there.
Wat Misaka at the Transcending screening
Please click here to view the full story!
