A Message from Harry Hill
Dear Friends of HOPE,
I would like to personally invite you to join me in celebrating a very special milestone, 25 years of HOPE International Development Agency Japan.
In many ways, HOPE's story began with a chance meeting in Shinrin Koen in 1997. I was there with my three young children and met Lowell, who was there with his two. From that simple encounter grew a friendship, then introductions, new relationships, and a shared belief that ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.
Together with a small group of people in Nagoya, we began a journey that none of us imagined would still be growing 25 years later.
What started in Nagoya has reached far beyond our city. Through the commitment of volunteers, supporters, partners, and local leaders, HOPE has helped transform lives in Cambodia, Ethiopia, and the Philippines and has also supported communities across Tohoku following the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Yet HOPE has never simply been about projects. It has always been about people.
It has brought together individuals from different companies, professions, cultures, and generations who share a common belief: that lasting change comes through partnership, dignity, and helping communities build their own future. Along the way, it has also created enduring friendships and connections that continue to enrich our own lives.
This year's Gala will be especially meaningful as we welcome Ly, Executive Director of HOPE Cambodia, whose partnership with HOPE Japan spans almost the entire 25-year journey. Her presence reminds us that what began in Nagoya has become a global community built on trust, friendship, and shared purpose.
Today, HOPE remains true to the philosophy that has guided it from the beginning. Whether providing access to clean water, supporting education, strengthening agriculture, or helping communities recover after a disaster, our goal has never been simply to provide aid. It has created opportunity.
On March 5, we will bring together those who helped establish HOPE, those who sustain it today, and those who will carry it into the future.
Above all, this evening is a celebration of what the Nagoya community has made possible over the past 25 years.
I hope you will join us as we celebrate this remarkable journey, and I look forward to welcoming you.
Warm regards,
Harry Hill
Honorary Chairman
25th Nagoya Gala