I am creating this fundraiser for my daughter Faith. She is 16 years old and a junior at Legacy High School in Broomfield, CO. Faith has been interested in visiting Japan since she was young. She fell in love with the culture, the people, art, fashion, and obviously, the food (has loved sushi since she was 4!). Faith is a bright light in this dark world and has brought me so much joy over the years. She is an incredible artist, loves ballet, loves the Earth and is such a kind and caring human.

When we first moved to Colorado, we discovered the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Downtown Denver in Sakura Square. We were so excited to be living near a place that had an amazing cultural event like this! We attended the festival in June 2019 and enjoyed an afternoon of amazing food, music, arts and crafts vendors and so much more! This is where we learned that Denver has a sister city known as Takayama, Japan. We also found out about the Denver Sister Cities International student ambassador program that sends area high school students on an immersive 10-day trip to Japan. It is not just a touristy trip, but a trip that will have a significant impact on your life journey. They will be exploring the traditional and modern aspects of Japan as well as expanding language skills and cultural understanding through visiting with local residents. They will also have the opportunity to stay with a host family in Takayama, which from previous student experiences, becomes a lifelong friendship.

So back in 2019, Faith was still in Middle School and couldn't wait to apply for the student ambassador trip to Japan. Then once she started High School, the Pandemic happened, so the trip was canceled until further notice. Well in February 2023, the trip was back and students were allowed to apply for the program once again. That's just what Faith did! She had to attend an interview along with other Denver area high school students. A week later, we found out that out of all the the students interviewed, Faith was accepted as one of the 8 that would be able to go on the trip!

The reason I am also asking for help is that Faith has experienced an intense amount of trauma in her life. More than any 16-year-old, let alone any child should have to endure. I am not going to go into detail, but I am happy to talk to you about it if you reach out to me privately. She is an amazing young lady and has really come a long way with everything she has been through. She deserves to go on this trip and I will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

I am so proud to be her mom and I cannot wait to see the amazing things she accomplishes. Thank you for your consideration and I would appreciate your prayers as well. Domo Arigato, Mandy