Greetings!

I want to thank everyone for pitching in and making such a successful picnic. Events as large as the picnic would be impossible to throw if it were not for all of the volunteers that help. I would like to give special thanks to Dennis Potamites, our Sergeant at Arms, who shows up every year at the picnic site at dawn to set up. By the time the picnic officially starts, he has already been there longer than most of you will stay! Thank you to everyone that donated time, money and prizes. I hope that everyone had a good time.

I am very excited and looking forward to attending the 5th Uchinanchu Festival. My husband Christian, my mother Nobuko Gonzales and my youngest daughter Nikki are all going as well! Christian and Nikki have never been to Okinawa, and are also very excited. Nikki will visit an Okinawan elementary school as part of the Okinawan Government program “Learn about Uchinanchu Around the World.”

I wish everyone a safe and healthy autumn.
Paula Schmidling

Read My Message In Japanese

I can be reached at (847) 877-2987, English only please, (Gomen-nasai!) or send and email to me at president@chicagookinawakenjinkai.com. I invite you to visit us on Facebook and “like” our new Facebook page and group. Just follow the links on our official Website.