Viewing page 10 of 32

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Mr. Peter Aoki
The Greater New York Committee for Japanese Americans, Inc.
11 West 42nd Street
New York 18, N. Y.

August 10, 1946

Dear Mr. Aoki,

With the cooperation of twenty artists a special committee has been formed in Woodstock and we are planning to hold an exclusive Harvest Festival Dance at the Maverick Concert Hall in Woodstock on August 31st for the benefit of the Greater New York Committee for Japanese Americans, Inc.

It is most gratifying to know that we have a lot of friends even in a small Catskill village. The artists' enthusiasm, their receptive and progressive attitude has made this undertaking possible. The music hall which for years has sponsored summer concerts by well know musicians was given to us free of charge. The artists have held several meeting and given freely of their time and interest in order to get the program underway.

One of the projects connected with the dance that we think most likely to raise a large part of the funds is the raffle. Fourteen nationally know American artists are contributing their original work for this. The raffle committee will send you several books of tickets in a few days which I hope you will help us distribute and sell.

There is one other matter which I would like you to consider in regard to the benefit dance. We would like to invite a couple of 442 veterans to come up for the weekend of the 31st. We would be proud to have them and the artists and their friends would like to meet them. I believe that this will help further and extend to a wider circle of people a better understanding and relationship. Would you let me know if this is possible and then we will make arrangements about accommodations for the week-end.

Mrs. Kuniyoshi and I are leaving for Maine on Monday, but the committee will carry on with their assignments during our absence. However we will cut our sketching trip short and be back here in plenty of time before August 31st to see that everything is carried out according to plan. I am sure the party will be gay. There will be music, costumes, decorations and entertainment. Let us hope that the dance will be a success in every way.

Sincerely,

P.S Would you please send me about two hundred leaflets. For your reference, the following is the list of names on the committee:

Arnold Blanch
Lucile Blanch
Paul Burlin
Edward Chavez
Herman Cherry
Bruce Currie
Stuart Edie
Paul Fiene
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Fitzpatrick
Regards to Mr. Benjamin.

Karl Fortees
Rosella Hartman
Frederick Knight
Mr. & Mrs. Yasuo Kuniyoshi
Doris Lee
Eugene Ludins
Ethel Magafan
Jennie Magafan
Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher Martin

Sigmund Menkes
Thomas Penning
Charles Rosen
Sueo Serisawa
Hannah Small
Judson Smith
Elizabeth Terrell
Bumpei Usui
Reginald Wilson
Denny Winters