Sacramento’s 125th Anniversary Celebration Draws Capacity Crowd of Over 500

The Buddhist Church of Sacramento’s 125th anniversary banquet and  celebration lived up to its tagline, demonstrating the 3 Cs — “Compassion. Culture. Community.” — throughout the evening.

More than 500 people packed the Nov. 23 event at the Sacramento Asian Sports Foundation. The crowd included:

• descendants of the Issei pioneers who founded the temple;

• past ministers of the temple and their relatives;

• ministers from the Northern California District and the Buddhist Churches of America including Bishop Rev. Marvin Harada;

• elected officials who presented proclamations marking the historic occasion;

• and David Thull, an ultramarathon runner from Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple, who completed an extraordinary journey to help raise more than $44,000 for Sacramento Betsuin teen Nathan Imura, who is battling leukemia, and the nonprofit Mama Bears Fighting Childhood Cancer.

A Night of ‘FUN’

To kick off the evening’s festivities, Rimban Rev. Yuki Sugahara shared a favorite slogan often heard in his Sunday Dharma talks. And that’s “to have FUN” — “F” for Friendship, “U” for Understanding, and “N” for Nembutsu.

“But tonight I want to change it a little bit,” Rev. Sugahara said. “I still want you to have friendship and I still want you to deepen understanding among each other. And of course, I want you to recite the Nembutsu. But today, please have a nice time, It’s OK to have FUN!”

From reconnecting with old friends to hamming it up at the photo booth; from toasting the occasion with a sake ceremony to listening to the musical group the Cherry Blossomz perform their favorite songs — there was no doubt that the guests had a fun and memorable time. Even the live dessert auction took on a life of its own.

A coffee crunch cake from Le Croissant Factory sold for $500; a pair of banana cream pies from Frank Fat’s went for $660; and bidding on a fruit basket cake from Karen’s Bakery jumped to $1,000. By the way, everyone received a piece of cake for free.

Anniversary Tributes

California had been a state for less than 50 years when Buddhist missionaries from Japan and Sacramento’s first Japanese immigrants founded the temple in 1899. In presenting a resolution from the City of Sacramento, Councilmember Katie Valenzuela honored the temple’s resilience.

“I think a lot about their history, their history of discrimination, history of relocation,” Valenzuela said, referring to the incarceration of temple members and others of Japanese descent during World War II and city redevelopment that decimated Sacramento’s Japantown and forced the temple to move to its present location.

“This church, despite all of that, has stayed together,” Valenzuela said, “and still has a home and is doing so many incredible things for the community.”

In presenting a resolution from the City of Elk Grove, Councilmember Darren Suen’s remarks turned personal. He talked about Rev. Sugahara providing comfort when Suen’s mother died. And years ago, former Sacramento Betsuin Resident Minister and BCA Minister Emeritus Rev. Bob Oshita and Minister’s Assistant Koichi Mizushima consoled Suen and some buddies after they lost a close friend.

The temple also received commendations from Sacramento County supervisors Pat Hume and Patrick Kennedy, Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen, and state Sen. Angelique Ashby. 

The official record of the United States Congress paid tribute with a passage from U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento.

Here’s an excerpt from the Congressional Record:

“Mr. Speaker, as the community of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento Hongwanji Betsuin gathers to celebrate its 125th anniversary with eyes on the future setting the stage for generations to come, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring their commitment to preserving and sharing the rich traditions of Japanese culture and Shin Buddhism with the community.”

A Selfless Act

The most astonishing gesture celebrating the anniversary came from ultramarathoner David Thull. His idea to run from Fresno Betsuin Buddhist Temple to the Buddhist Church of Sacramento turned into “200 Miles of Compassion,” a benefit for 13-year-old Nathan Imura, a temple member battling leukemia, and Mama Bears Fighting Childhood Cancer, a Sacramento nonprofit that offered support and comfort to the Imura family during their long hours at the hospital.

With the anniversary banquet just hours away, a group gathered at the temple to await Thull’s arrival following his three-and-a-half-day journey, some of it through the pouring rain. Among the first to greet him were Nathan and his family, parents Aaron and Doreen Imura, younger brother Max, and grandfather Roy Imura, who gave Thull the biggest hug.

“This is about bringing the community together and helping Nathan and his family,” said Thull, standing in the church parking lot. “That’s what we talk about when we come to the temple — trying to be a better person.”

Thull was still in high spirits when he and his wife Alesha arrived at the anniversary celebration as guests of honor. 

Who could have imagined a more heartwarming conclusion to the 125th anniversary banquet and celebration! And of course, thank you to the countless temple volunteers and community supporters who brought this momentous event to life.

It was a magical night, said Karen Adachi, finishing her term as President of the Buddhist Church of Sacramento. An anniversary that’s sure to be remembered for many things but especially, genuine expressions of Compassion. Culture. Community.