Latest news with #Zard
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
SECU Awards Summer Camp Scholarships to 457 Youth Members Statewide
RALEIGH, N.C., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) has concluded its fourth annual Summer Camp Awards campaign, granting $500 scholarships to 457 young members throughout North Carolina. Recipients were selected through random drawings, with one FAT CAT® and one Zard® winner per branch from all eligible entries. The scholarships will be used for the registration costs and associated fees at the summer camp chosen by each youth winner. Applicants submitted an illustration or essay about their dream camp experience to be entered into the contest. Since its launch in 2022 the program has provided scholarships totaling $508,000 to 1,016 FAT CAT and Zard members. Summer Camp Awards were established to encourage young members to expand their knowledge through fun and engaging summer camps and provide financial support to help youth families pursue these impactful opportunities. 'Parks was very excited when he found out he was a Summer Camp Award winner,' said Michael Hamilton, father of Raleigh-Wakefield Branch winner Parks Hamilton. 'For his entry, he drew a picture of pandas, bamboo, flowers, a hummingbird, a seagull, and volcanos – things he's seen in Kung Fu Panda. He will be attending a Tae Kwon Do camp this summer and is really looking forward to it.' 'We are so pleased to contribute to our young members' summer camp experiences and continue our support for SECU families across the state through this beneficial program for a fourth consecutive year,' said SECU President and CEO Leigh Brady. 'The educational opportunities afforded to youth through summer camps are so incredibly valuable, and I want to offer our sincere congratulations to this year's winners!' About SECU A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 88 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $55 billion in assets. It serves more than 2.8 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, and the SECU Mobile App. Contact: Sandra Jones, Communications, [email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
SECU Awards Summer Camp Scholarships to 457 Youth Members Statewide
SECU Awards Summer Camp Scholarships to 457 Youth Members Statewide RALEIGH, N.C., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) has concluded its fourth annual Summer Camp Awards campaign, granting $500 scholarships to 457 young members throughout North Carolina. Recipients were selected through random drawings, with one FAT CAT® and one Zard® winner per branch from all eligible entries. The scholarships will be used for the registration costs and associated fees at the summer camp chosen by each youth winner. Applicants submitted an illustration or essay about their dream camp experience to be entered into the contest. Since its launch in 2022 the program has provided scholarships totaling $508,000 to 1,016 FAT CAT and Zard members. Summer Camp Awards were established to encourage young members to expand their knowledge through fun and engaging summer camps and provide financial support to help youth families pursue these impactful opportunities. 'Parks was very excited when he found out he was a Summer Camp Award winner,' said Michael Hamilton, father of Raleigh-Wakefield Branch winner Parks Hamilton. "For his entry, he drew a picture of pandas, bamboo, flowers, a hummingbird, a seagull, and volcanos – things he's seen in Kung Fu Panda. He will be attending a Tae Kwon Do camp this summer and is really looking forward to it.' 'We are so pleased to contribute to our young members' summer camp experiences and continue our support for SECU families across the state through this beneficial program for a fourth consecutive year,' said SECU President and CEO Leigh Brady. 'The educational opportunities afforded to youth through summer camps are so incredibly valuable, and I want to offer our sincere congratulations to this year's winners!' About SECU A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 88 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $55 billion in assets. It serves more than 2.8 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, and the SECU Mobile App. Contact: Sandra Jones, Communications, A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Tokyo Weekender
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Izumi Sakai: The Voice of Japan's Lost Decade
On this day in 2007, Izumi Sakai died from brain contusion after falling from an outdoor staircase at Keio University Hospital. Eighteen years on from her death, and the popular lead singer of the band Zard is still fondly remembered in this country. Known as the 'voice of Japan's lost decade,' she was the only consistent member of the group and, as a result, was often referred to as Zard. Here is her story. List of Contents: Izumi Sakai's Background Zard's Debut A Mysterious Figure 'Makenaide' Izumi Sakai's Death More From This Series Izumi Sakai's Background Born Sachiko Kamachi on February 6, 1967, Sakai had a keen interest in music as a youngster. She started learning how to play the piano from the age of 4 and later took guitar lessons. At junior high school, her main focus, outside of class, was track and field, as she was said to have been an impressive sprinter. After graduating with a degree in English from Shoin Women's Junior College — now Shoin University — Sakai worked in the general affairs department of a real estate company. During her time there, she won a 'karaoke queen' contest and was then scouted by the talent agency, Stardust Promotion. She went on to feature as a promotional model for Japan Air System (JAS) — which has since merged with JAL — and as a Nissin race queen. In 1990, Sakai auditioned to become a chorus singer for the J-pop group B.B. Queens, singing 'Roppongi Shinju' by Ann Lewis and 'Tsugunai' by Teresa Teng. Though she didn't get in, Daiko Nagato, the legendary producer for bands such as B'z and Boøwy, liked what he saw and recruited the singer. She subsequently changed her name from Sachiko Kamachi to Izumi Sakai and formed the band Zard. Zard's Debut The group debuted in February 1991 with the single 'Good-bye My Loneliness,' the theme song for the popular drama series, Kekkon no Risou to Genjitsu (The Ideal and Reality of a Married Life). . It peaked at number nine on the Oricon Chart, selling more than 200,000 copies. Zard's first TV appearance came the following year on Music Station , where the group performed its fourth single, 'Nemurenai Yoru wo Daite,' which charted for 17 weeks, selling over 450,00 copies. Speaking to the host, Kazuyoshi Morita — better known as Tamori — Sakai said the group wanted to make sure it was economically viable before performing publicly. A Mysterious Figure Sakai was known to be quite shy and rarely gave interviews or performed in public. According to Nagato, 'she wasn't good at talking and wanted to focus on recording.' Her record label also didn't release much personal information on their artists, so she had a reputation for being mysterious. Adding to this mystique was the fact that Zard's first live show wasn't until August 1999 — eight years after the group formed — aboard the luxury cruise ship Pacific Venus. It was watched by a crowd of just 600 people, who were randomly selected out of 2 million ticket requests. The group's first and only tour with Sakai as the singer came five years later. Despite rarely appearing in public, Zard became one of the best-selling Japanese bands, or female artists — as many viewed it as a solo project with a backing band — of all time. She had 12 hits which topped the Oricon Singles Chart and nine albums that reached the number one spot. 'Makenaide' The song that resonated with Japanese people the most was 'Makenaide,' released in 1993. A motivational phrase encouraging people to persevere and not succumb to defeat, it offered hope to the working masses in the early 1990s after the Japanese stock market crashed. 'Makenaide' became the theme song for Japan during its so-called 'Lost Decade,' selling over 1.6 million copies. The other two Zard singles to exceed 1 million in sales were 'Yureru Omori' and 'My Friend.' Sakai was a prolific writer who wrote around 150 songs during her 17-year career, including the opening theme tune to Dragon Ball GT — 'Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku' — for Field of View. She also wrote hits for other J-pop groups, such as Wands and Deen, and penned the lyrics for all but two of Zard's tracks. As well as music, Sakai was known for her poetry and oil paintings. Izumi Sakai's Death In 2006, Sakai was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Though the tumor was removed, in April 2007, the cancer spread to her lungs. While in Keio University Hospital, she was known to take daily walks. Encouraged by how treatment was going, she had reportedly started planning for a new album. During one of her walks on May 26, Sakai accidentally fell 3 meters off a landing of a staircase outside the hospital, which was wet as it had been raining. A passerby saw the singer and she was taken to the emergency room. Sadly, she never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead the following day. She was 40. A public memorial service was held for Sakai a month after her death. Around 40,000 people attended. A series of memorial concerts were held in September 2007, which immediately sold out. The following year, Zard embarked on a nationwide tour in her honor, with the final concert taking place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium on the first anniversary of Sakai's death. More From This Series Kenzo Tange: Japan's Most Influential Architect Yukio Mishima: A Troubled Literary Genius Miki Matsubara: A City Pop Icon
