It’s the end of peak week for the cherry blossoms, a sure sign of spring in the District and a special relationship with Japan.

Continue reading

As Japan continues to recover from that deadly earthquake and tsunami, events around the annual festival have had a spirit of giving back.

“Our first reaction was to make sure our friends and people that we work with in Japan were fine. The next was to really sit down and think about how we can stop and pause and reflect,” said Diana Matthew, President of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Since the quake, festival organizers have been taking donations for the relief effort through the official festival website and now many local businesses have also followed suit.

At Crumbs Bake Shop, for example, 15 percent of the proceeds from sales of their cherry blossom cupcake will go to the Red Cross.

“When the tsunami and earthquake hit, it was clear that was an organization and something we'd like to give back to,” said Stephanie Ivanick, Crumbs District Manager.

This spring’s blossoms seem to be giving hope thousands of miles away.

“The relationship with Japan is at the heart of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The cherry blossoms symbolize rebirth, renewal, and now, rebuilding for Japan,” Matthew said.

There’s still plenty of time to check out the cherry blossoms as well as to donate to the cause. Several activities are scheduled this weekend, including workshops for the kids and a moonlight cruise for adults.