We held our 28th Annual Sadako Peace Day once again in the Sadako Peace Garden at La Casa de Maria to remember the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all innocent victims of war. The event took place on Tuesday, August 9, 2022, from 6:00 – 7:00 pm PT. It was the first time we were able to hold Sadako Peace Day at at La Casa de Maria since 2018, when the retreat center suffered terrible damage from the mudslides that took place after the Thomas Fires. Frank Bognar, NAPF Board Chair, welcomed everyone to this special event. This year, we introduced Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, our President, who gave a moving keynote talk about the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. There were poetry readings by Emma Trelles, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, Father Larry Gosselin, and Perie Longo, Chair of NAPF’s Poetry Committee. Hal Maynard and Sandy Jones, local singer/songwriters, played original music, Dr. Jimmy Hara spoke about Sadako’s short life and her inspiring wish for peace, and Bob Sedivy, a komusō monk, opened and closed the evening on the shakuhachi. Our poets read their own and the poetry of David Krieger, our Co-Founder and President Emeritus, reminding us of the need to care for each other and for our mother Earth. We were touched to see so many members of our wonderful community in attendance. Thank you to all who were able to join us! For a video of Dr. Hughes delivering her keynote, see HERE. For photos from the event by Rick Carter, see HERE.
