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2023 Lunar New Year Gala To Honor Anne Shimojima and MJ Olszewski
Anne Shimojima and Michael James “MJ” Olszewski will represent the Japanese American community at the Asian American Coalition of Chicago’s 40th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, February 18, 2023.
Through her decades-long work as a professional storyteller and elementary school librarian, Anne has introduced audiences throughout the United States to Japanese and Japanese American history and culture. She brought her family’s incarceration story to Tokyo, under a program sponsored by the government of Japan. Anne was awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan, and was recently named a recipient of Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays.
MJ Olszewski is a junior at Amundsen High School in Chicago, where he carries a challenging load of honors classes. He enjoys playing basketball in his spare time, and hopes to pursue a career in sports media. MJ volunteers as a youth basketball coach at the Sansei Yonsei Athletic Association, where he shares his love of the sport with children aged five and up. He also participates in activities that honor and support his community, such as beautifying Montrose Cemetery for the annual Memorial Day service, or packing meals at Feed My Starving Children events.
Hosted by the Vietnamese American Community, the 40th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration will be held on February 18 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare (9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont).
Tickets are $110 each, or $1,100 per table of 10. Ticket purchasers can also attend afternoon forums on education and business topics, as well as a combined religious service.
For more information on how you can attend the Lunar New Year Celebration and support Anne and MJ, please contact Tonko Doi at tonkodoi1@gmail.com or 773/960-8732.
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