CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

This "Picture of the Week" honors the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place every spring in Washington, D.C. The picture here is that of a beautiful cherry blossom in bloom with the Washington Monument in the background.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is one of the largest yearly spectator events in Washington, D.C. There is a parade associated with the festival. The Cherry Blossom Festival Parade actually marches down Constitution Avenue and, this year, is scheduled to be held on April 8, 2000.

The Cherry Blossom Festival is a yearly event that celebrates Japan's gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the people of the United States in 1912. Mayor Yukio Ozaki presented this gift to the United States as a symbol of the friendship shared between the United States and Japan. The magnificent pink and white blossoms line the Washington D.C. Tidal Basin. Hundreds of thousands of people go to D.C. each year to view this spectacular site.

For the past 30 years this festival has been sponsored by the Downtown Jaycees of Washington, D.C. Also, over 500 volunteers help the Jaycees the day of the actual parade.

Ole Morten Orset, Jaycee President, has stated the significance of this event. He states, "This annual event is an institution in Washington, D.C., not only celebrating international cooperation and friendship, but also serving as a tribute to the arrival of spring in the nation's capitol."

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