By EMILY ARLEN
Looking for an activity the whole family will enjoy? Come play a game of miniature golf and participate in a raffle with great prizes, all while supporting a program that helps young people become future leaders of the Japanese American community.
Enter the 11th annual Miniature Golf Tournament of the Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program, to be held on Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Camelot Golfland in Anaheim.
Each year, the Rising Stars participants put their leadership skills into action by planning and organizing the tournament to raise funds for the following year’s Rising Stars Program. On March 1, they will once again be put to the test.
The entry fee to participate in the tournament is $20 for adults and $15 for children aged 10 and under. The fee includes a continental breakfast, a round of golf, and lunch. Those who do not wish to participate in the tournament may pay the lunch-only fee of $10.
The tournament will begin with a shotgun start and prizes will be awarded to the miniature golf winners in different age groups and special categories. Pizza, salad, and drinks will be served for lunch, and kids will receive tokens to use in Camelot’s Arcade.
After lunch, the raffle commences and more prizes are given away. Top raffle prizes include an iPad Mini (first prize), a GoPro Camera (second), and two tickets to Disneyland (third), and many other prizes can be won. Raffle tickets are $2 each and winners need not be present to win.
No one will be going home empty-handed. Everyone who attends will receive a goody bag filled with items donated by supporters of the Rising Stars Program. Rising Stars welcomes sponsorships and donations in support of the tournament and will acknowledge and show appreciation to all sponsors and donors at the event.
The Rising Stars Program is sponsored by the Nikkei Federation and is designed to develop the leadership skills and cultural understanding of high school students through interactive workshops and engaging activities and to inspire their involvement in the Japanese American community. “Teamwork,” “Speak to Persuade,” and “Assertiveness” are just a few of the many workshops the participants go through.
This program has also given its participants the opportunity to explore the heart of the Japanese American community on a walking tour and a scavenger hunt in Little Tokyo and to learn about Japanese American culture and history on a tour of the Japanese American National Museum.
For more information regarding the golf tournament or becoming a sponsor or donor, go to www.nikkeifederation.org/golf/. For additional information, contact Glenn Nakatani at (626) 915-5388 or gnakatani@aol.com.
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Emily Arlen, a senior at Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, is a participant in the 11th Rising Stars Youth Leadership Program and a member of the Rising Stars Miniature Golf Tournament Publicity Committee.
