- Jaspreet Johl
- (916) 335-8871
- Jaspreet.Johl@asm.ca.gov
(Sacramento, CA) – Today, Assembly Member Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), Councilmember Kevin De León and the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) hosted a press event to celebrate the allocation of $300,000 to the LTSC Terasaki Budokan, a newly opened state-of-the-art gym and community center in Little Tokyo. With the allocation of these funds, Assembly Member Santiago has helped secure over $6 million for Budokan.
“The Terasaki Budokan is a historic project in my district that will provide life-changing activities and services for the Little Tokyo Community,” said Assembly Member Miguel Santiago. “The Budokan provides desperately needed green space in Downtown Los Angeles and community activities such as recreational sports, after school programs and a community garden, which will keep Little Tokyo residents healthy and connected to one another. I am proud to have delivered $300,000 and I look forward to continue strengthening the Budokan community.”
"The funding secured by Assemblyman Santiago will enable us to build out all the programming we had envisioned for the Terasaki Budokan project - sports and martial arts tournaments, community events, senior activities, and to open our afterschool program for youth living in our affordable housing buildings nearby and surrounding neighborhoods,” said Erich Nakano, Deputy Director of the Little Tokyo Service Center. “The Assemblyman is helping us realize our dream of Budokan as a "Home Court for All".”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the LTSC provided emergency services to the same population that the Budokan project now serves. These services included hot meal deliveries, cash assistance and supporting struggling small businesses in their loan applications. Now that the Budokan is fully open, it will provide youth, local residents and community members with recreational space and an array of programs for all ages. The key program areas include sports and exercise (basketball, volleyball and martial arts), after-school programs, health and wellness programs for seniors and arts and cultural programs. The $300,000 secured by Assembly Member Santiago in the State Budget will aid in funding these programs and services.
Today’s press event can be viewed here.
Assemblymember Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance Committee and the Assembly Select Committee on Los Angeles County Homelessness. He also sits on the Assembly Committee on Health, Public Safety, Higher Education and Utilities and Energy. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.