We take this opportunity to share highlights from this year and hopes for the next.
We take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to all our Nikkei Place supporters - your efforts help us continue to persevere through the challenges of COVID-19, so that our charities can continue to operate and serve the community.
Kaye Kaminishi, third baseman for the legendary Vancouver Asahi Baseball Team, will receive this year’s 2019 Thomas Shoyama Lifetime Achievement Award at Nikkei Place Foundation’s annual fundraising dinner. Previous recipients include Dr. David Suzuki, Joy Kogawa, Arthur Hara, Gordon Kadota, and Henry Wakabayashi.
Dear Friends of Nikkei Place,
The Nikkei Place Foundation is saddened to share the news that our founding Board President, Robert Tadashi Banno, passed away unexpectedly on June 16, 2020.
Robert was a Sansei, born in Tashme Internment Camp on March 9, 1943. He was the first baby to be born at Tashme. He graduated from Kamloops High School and attended the University of British Columbia, majoring in Economics and Political Science. He earned his law degree at the UBC School of Law. Robert began practicing law in 1969 and had a long and distinguished career. He served as a senior partner at DLA Piper (formerly Davis LLP) , with expertise in Canada-Japan business and trade and aboriginal law. He was also instrumental in helping to establish the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre and served as its founding President. He then later founded the Nikkei Place Foundation in 2002 to support both the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre and the Nikkei Seniors Health Care & Housing Society and led its fundraising efforts until his death.
As Board President of the Foundation, Robert led with integrity, humility, and with a clarity of vision. Above everything, he was an ethical, thoughtful, and honorable person. He was generous to Nikkei Place both as a philanthropist and with his time as a Board member and volunteer.
“Robert was a kind and generous person who was incredibly supportive of myself and the staff. I learned a lot about leadership through his mentorship. Robert’s contributions to Nikkei Place are immeasurable. We will miss him.”
— Naomi Kawamura, Executive Director
The Nikkei Place Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff offer our deepest condolences to his wife Cathy Makihara, his son Kevin, his granddaughter, his brothers Victor & Dale, his extended family, and to his many friends. Please keep them in your thoughts at this time.
If you would like to share some of your memories, stories, photographs, or condolences with the family, the Foundation has created an online memorial site to honour Robert Banno’s life and work at https://www.nikkeiplacefoundation.org/banno/.
