The sounds of music drifted across Meijo Park as children raced between activity booths, families gathered around food vendors, and volunteers welcomed a steady stream of visitors. On the stage, NIS students raised their voices alongside longtime Walkathon supporter and entertainer James Haven, performing a special song created to celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 35th anniversary of the ACCJ/NIS Walkathon.
To many, it looked like a festival. And it was!
However, behind the music, games, raffle prizes, and laughter lay something much deeper—a tradition of service, partnership, and community that has connected Nagoya's international and local communities for more than three decades.
When the Walkathon first began 35 years ago, the idea was simple. Members of Nagoya's international community wanted to express their gratitude to the city and region that had welcomed them. They wanted a meaningful way to give back to the community they had come to call home. What started as a family-friendly fundraising event has since grown into one of the region's most enduring examples of community collaboration.
Over the years, the Walkathon has generated support for dozens of local organizations serving some of the most vulnerable members of society. The charities supported through the event work in areas that often receive little public attention, but make an enormous difference in people's lives. They provide vocational training and employment opportunities for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. They support after-school programs, family services, children's homes, medical organizations, women’s shelters, and groups that serve the homeless. Many are small organizations filling critical needs within the community, often with limited resources and funding opportunities.
Collectively, the impact has been extraordinary.
For 35 years, along with NIS, sponsors, volunteers, businesses, families, and community members have come together to ensure these organizations can continue their work. The success of the Walkathon even helped inspire the creation of the Chubu Children's Fund following the event's 25th anniversary. Today, that organization provides scholarships for young adults who have grown up in children's homes, helping them pursue higher education and opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. It is a powerful reminder that sustained community support can have impacts far beyond a single event.
Perhaps even more remarkable than the funds raised is the consistency of the commitment behind them.
Through economic uncertainty, changing demographics, and even the challenges of a global pandemic, the Walkathon has continued. Year after year, people have chosen to show up. Businesses have continued to sponsor. Volunteers have continued to give their time. Families have continued to participate. The needs within the community have not disappeared, and neither has the determination to help meet them.
For Nagoya International School, this commitment reflects values that sit at the heart of the school's mission.
As a longtime co-sponsor of the Walkathon, NIS sees the event as much more than a fundraiser. It is an opportunity for students and families to live the values of belonging, growth, responsibility, and community service in authentic ways. It provides a chance to move beyond learning about service and to experience it firsthand.
Students can be found throughout the event, leading activities, running games, performing on stage, supporting vendors, helping organize the walk, and welcoming guests. Their contributions help create the atmosphere that makes the Walkathon such a beloved community tradition. Yet the learning extends beyond the day itself. Later in the year, NIS students participate in the charity fund disbursement ceremony, where they meet representatives from the organizations receiving support and witness firsthand how their efforts translate into meaningful community impact. This connection between action and outcome is one of the most powerful lessons the event offers.
This year, the 35th anniversary celebrations provided several reminders of how each generation helps carry the Walkathon forward. One student drew inspiration from the event's long history when creating the winning T-shirt design, reflecting on the values and community spirit that have defined the Walkathon since its beginnings. At the same time, the anniversary song created by James Haven and performed alongside NIS students symbolized something equally important: the passing of a tradition from one generation to the next. Together, these contributions tell the story of an event that continues to evolve while remaining true to its original purpose.
At its heart, the ACCJ/NIS Walkathon has never simply been about walking. It is about relationships. It is about people from different backgrounds coming together around a shared belief that communities are strongest when they care for one another. It is about gratitude expressed through action. It is about ensuring that organizations doing essential work have the support they need to continue serving others.
Thirty-five years after the first Walkathon, the purpose remains unchanged. Families still gather. Students still contribute. Businesses still sponsor. Volunteers still give their time. And the community still comes together to support those who need it most.
For one day each year, thousands of footsteps move in the same direction, and importantly, the impact of those steps continues long after that third Sunday in May.