The December Nisei Lunch marked a return to the “good old days” regarding attendance. We hosted 60 in-house diners and delivered 34 lunches. The number of meals served was equal to our numbers before COVID.
Without a doubt, much of the excitement generated for the December lunch is due to Terry Takeuchi’s annual Prime Rib feast. Terry is the owner/operator of Terry’s Kitchen in Bellevue, and he has provided our December meal since we started the Nisei Lunch program in 2015. Our longtime lunch guests look forward to Terry’s Prime Rib all year long, and this year’s meal did not disappoint. The Prime Rib was outstanding!
Another “special” treat for the lunch was dessert. We provided cookie assortments for all our guests. The cookies are generally home baked cookies provided by our volunteers and guests. Thank you to all our home bakers for providing such a wide variety of cookies!
We received several generous Bingo prize donations from folks in the community. I would like to thank Cathy Kiyomura for providing handmade aprons, a “Squishmallow” pillow, and an autographed copy of Lori Matsukawa’s book, “Brave Mrs. Sato”. Other Bingo prizes included a beautifully handcrafted blanket donated by Margie Nomi, a Christmas themed musical snow globe donated by Mike Nagan, a bottle of liquor donated by Mark Sakagami, a home baked apple pie donated by Nancy Fujimoto (always a favorite Bingo prize), several hand knitted scarves donated by Eileen Lamphere, and six lovely floral bouquets provided by Ed Shinbo (owner/operator of Acia Florist). Finally, a thank you to Mel Inouye who has donated many of the gift cards that we offer as Bingo prizes throughout the year. A heartfelt “Thank You” to all our donors!
One last thing as we close out 2024. I would like to thank Janice Kunitsugu for taking the luncheon photos throughout the year. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and Janice’s photos help me bring the luncheon story to life for our readers.
Eileen Lamphere, who is a regular Nisei Lunch volunteer and is also the President of the Puyallup Valley JACL announced the “Puyallup Assembly Center” Remembrance Gallery will be open on February 8 at 10:00am. The opening of the Gallery will be part of the Day of Remembrance program acknowledging the signing of EO 9066 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This program is open to everyone in the community.
The Gallery encourages an inclusive understanding of the wrongful incarceration of 125,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans in the United States during WWII. The Washington State Fair provided a space to build a permanent Historic exhibit inside the Grandstand which was part of the original confinement site.
Reflecting on 2024 and the Nisei Lunch in particular, I am thankful and grateful for the opportunity I have had to meet many new people and to renew old friendships during our special Nisei Lunch. I also recall the many fond memories of my interactions with those that have passed during the year. Although they may not be with us physically, they are certainly with us in spirit.
I’d like to close the December Nisei Lunch report by wishing everyone a wonderful and blessed New Year. May you find peace and happiness in the coming year.
