Saturday, April 10, 2004

PERSONALITY PROFILE

By VIVIENNE KENRICK

All her life, Alice Harrington has been used to caring for others. She said: "I grew up in a small farming community in South Dakota, where neighbors helped each other. My parents cared for my father's Danish immigrant parents, an elderly aunt and several elderly men on welfare. Our home was open to anyone: relatives needing a place to eat or sleep during bad weather, strangers who were caught in a blizzard. All year long, my grandmother sewed dolls' clothing and quilts to be sent to a children's home at Christmas." A child of such influences, she grew up believing in contributing to the well-being of others.

Alice Harrington

Alice has lived in Japan for 37 years. She joined the Yokohama International Women's Club in 1971, "wanting to meet other foreign women and to work with charities -- my main interest," she said.

Alice met her husband, Donald, in Nebraska, where she was attending a Danish Lutheran college. Originally she and he came to Japan in 1964, drawn by the Tokyo Olympic Games and opportunities to teach English here. "We came with $ 60 in our pockets and planned to stay a year," Alice said.

At that time they stayed two years. They came again in 1969 for Donald to fulfill a contract teaching English in a Tokyo school preparing students for college. He continued teaching there until he retired four years ago. Alice taught English at school, at Japanese companies, at home and at the Asahi Culture Center. Their two children attended Japanese elementary schools. When the children became junior high school students, they enrolled in the International School in Yokohama, and the family moved to live in the city.

Twenty years ago, Alice founded an organization to improve Japanese and American people's understanding of each other. "Several Japanese women volunteered to support me," she said. "We organized study tours in Japan for American teachers and students, for them to see 'the real Japan' and meet 'real' Japanese men and women." She has always been busy on many fronts. Both her son and daughter, married now, live nearby. She has five grandchildren claiming shares of her attention. Nonetheless, she continues as a leader of the Yokohama International Women's Club.

"I've held several offices in YIWC, and am currently second vice president in charge of our charity activities," Alice said. "Thanks to the hard work of our fundraisers and club members, this year we have donated to two children's homes, a home for the elderly, a training center for physically and mentally handicapped people, a center for Down's syndrome young adults, a school for the blind, and a day-care center for homeless children. Additionally we have given clothing, blankets, food and daily necessities for the homeless in Yokohama and Kawasaki. We have two projects for women and children in Nepal, and help a number of local and international organizations."

YIWC celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. From a group hoping to "broaden the outlook" of its members, it has grown into a club that promotes international understanding through friendship and charity. It is cited by Yokohama and Kanagawa Prefecture for its contributions to the community. It conducts several activities, amongst which a pre-Christmas bazaar has become a club tradition. Today YIWC has 136 members from 10 different countries. Alice is one of 46 members who have supported the club for at least 20 years.

In the 1950s, YIWC began a springtime function to raise money for travel grants and loans to enable Japanese students to take up study in the U.S. Most students then sailed to America, and YIWC arranged assistance for them on arrival in California. In those days in Yokohama, several beautiful homes still maintained spacious gardens where YIWC could hold parties. The name Azalea Tea and the occasion have survived the homes and gardens, though the tea now takes place in a hotel. Its proceeds are still allocated for student assistance.

Alice reports that this year's Azalea Tea, the 49th in a row, is scheduled for Thursday, April 22, from 10:30 a.m. in the Pan Pacific Hotel in Yokohama. Entertainment will feature a violinist and a pianist performing popular classical music. A raffle will be held for valuable prizes.

For full information, call (045) 625-1557, (045) 911-2099, (03) 5726-2526

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