This year Kentlake will host the annual Kent Area Cherry Blossom Festival, an event that celebrates Japanese culture and welcomes exchange students from Japan who will spend 10 days with host families from the Kent School District.

“I love sharing my culture, especially with children,” said Risa Wright, a junior at Kentlake who is in her second year studying Japanese at school and president of the school’s Japan Club.

The festival is a chance for students from the different Kent high schools to work together and collaborate to create an event for the community and the students from Japan. The event is sponsored by all four of the Kent high schools, the judo team and the schools’ PTSA organizations.

This year students have organized a martial arts demonstration, talent show, karaoke, Taiko drummers, a break dancing demonstration and a variety of booths that will showcase a variety of Japanese foods and activities.

Kei Higaki, the Japanese teacher and club advisor at Kentlake, estimates more than 500 students are a part of organizing the event with about 120 of those from Kentlake. Higaki said the event usually draws between 1,500 and 2,000 community members.

Wright has helped with the festival for years — she got involved when her older sister was a student at Kentlake.

Senior Jordan Gormeley, vice president of the Japan Club, got involved because she was taking Japanese at Kentlake and then joined Japan Club because she wanted to learn more about the culture.

“(I’ve) always been interested in Japanese culture,” Gormeley said.

Gormeley also loves the challenge of organizing such a big event and working with the other students. Gormeley said she has learned a lot through working on the festival the past few years.

“Time management, making sure everything is prepared, being on top of everything, (being) more aware of what’s going on around me,” Gormeley said.

Higaki is proud of the way the students dive in every year and take on planning the festival. One of the most meaningful parts of the experience for her is, “seeing how much ownership the students (take) and the excitement they have.”

Gormeley said the event is about broadening horizons and learning something new.

“All are welcome,” Wright said. “Even if you don’t know the culture you can always come.”

Reach Katherine Smith ksmith@covingtonreporter.com or 425-432-1209 ext. 5052.