SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Thursday, the Sacramento Tree Foundation and many Sacramento leaders had a kick-off campaign at Robert T. Matsui Park to fundraise for the building of a cherry blossom park along the Sacramento River known as the Hanami Line.
The Sacramento Tree Foundation is a nonprofit organization working to connect communities with nature. The Hanami Line would include over 100 cherry blossom trees, public art, drought-tolerant landscaping, seating, and an area to host various festivals.
The Hanami Line is expected to open in 2023, inspired by the Japanese tradition known as hanami.
Hanami is a tradition where people get together every spring and have a picnic or take a walk under the cherry blossoms trees. Cherry blossoms are a symbolic flower, a time of renewal.
► Get more stories about race and culture: Sign up for our newsletter at www.abc10.com/email and find more online in our Race & Culture section.
The Sacramento Tree Foundation plans on providing the perfect pairing of Sacramento's namesake "the City of Trees" with Japanese American culture and history, creating a fusion of nature and culture.
Congresswoman Doris Matsui is a co-chair of the Hanami Line Capital Campaign and was there at the fundraiser, and is excited to welcome the cherry blossom trees to Robert T. Matsui Park.
“We are a city of rivers and a city of trees, and the Hanami Line weaves both aspects of our civic character together,” Matsui said according to a press release. “It will salute Sacramento’s rich history and create a lasting connection with the cherry trees that bloom every year in our nation’s capital.”
The kick-off campaign was successful, already raising 91% of their goal to raise $6.95 million.
“In the midst of all of the bad news over the past few years, let’s come together to build something beautiful for Sacramento – a place where we can connect with loved ones and find respite in nature just blocks away from downtown,” Sacramento Tree Foundation Executive Director Jessica Sanders said according to a press release.