TagCenter Openings

Denver, Oct. 4—On a sunny and warm weekend in October, members from Rocky Mountain Zone gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Denver Culture Center. The net-zero energy facility, situated along the South Platte River in the heart of downtown, now stands as a striking symbol of hope. On the same location as the

by Abe UccelloSpecial to the Tribune  PORT OF SPAIN—On the corner of Wrightsville Road and Sackville Street here in the capital, the breathtaking sight of local trees, called “poui,” were in full bloom, as if to celebrate the long-awaited grand opening of the new SGI-USA Trinidad and Tobago Buddhist Center. Nestled on the northwest coast

Michigan is on a winning streak. The University of Michigan clinched the 2023 college football championship, while the Detroit Lions won its first playoff game in 32 years. For local SGI-USA members, add to that excitement the purchase of the SGI-USA Detroit Buddhist Center, which will now serve as a permanent castle of kosen-rufu in

BALTIMORE—North of the Chesapeake Bay, the site of a crucial naval battle during the American Revolution, now lies a stronghold of peace. More than 300 members and guests from Chesapeake Bay Region gathered on Nov. 5, 2023, for the grand opening of the new SGI-USA Baltimore Buddhist Center. The facility, nestled in Linthicum Heights, a

ORLANDO, Fla., April 2, 2023—The members poured in from every part of Orlando—from Daytona Beach to Palm Bay to Kissimmee—filling the new Orlando Buddhist Center to capacity for its grand opening.  It was the region’s first in-person gathering in three years, and so the 295 members and guests entered their new center with an irrepressible

“The door to a new age will not open as long as we wait for it to happen. We must open it ourselves, through our own dauntless and courageous actions.” —Ikeda Sensei TAMUNING, Guam—The long-awaited SGI Guam Ikeda Peace and Culture Center opened on Jan. 21, 2023, in a ceremony overflowing with resolve to send

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, Aug. 7—Members and guests entered the new SGI-USA San Juan Buddhist Center in amazement as pioneer members leaped with joy to welcome them home. In their first in-person SGI-USA activity in over two years, Puerto Rico Region hosted a hybrid kosen-rufu gongyo meeting at the new center. With 60 attendees joining

Tucson, Ariz., May 1—In a joyful ceremony, the resilience of the Southwest Zone members shone through with the long-awaited grand opening of the new Tucson Buddhist Center.  Due to COVID-19, the grand opening had been postponed twice, once in November 2021, and again in January 2022. But, each time, the members redetermined to patiently await

NEW YORK, May 1—With tears of joy, the members of Queens Region celebrated the long-anticipated opening of the SGI-USA Queens Buddhist Center, with over 260 members and guests gathering in person and an additional 240 joining the festivities virtually. The meeting opened with a message from Ikeda Sensei, who called the center the result of

FORT LAUDERDALE AND JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, Nov. 7, 2021—After a 19-month hiatus, the members of the Florida Everglades and North Florida regions reunited in exciting fashion—with new SGI-USA centers. The Florida Everglades Buddhist Center opened in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Nov. 7 with 265 members attending in-person and over Zoom. On the same day, 100 members

SANTA MONICA, California, Nov. 7, 2021—Members of Los Angeles Coastal North Region, old and new, reunited for the first time in nearly two years to celebrate the grand opening of the SGI-USA Santa Monica Pacific Peace Center. Over 230 participants attended the meeting, including some 140 in person, 20 of whom were guests. From pioneer

El Monte, California, Oct. 3, 2021—Following a year of unprecedented challenges brought on by COVID-19, the members of La Puente and East Los Angeles San Gabriel Valley Regions joyfully celebrated the grand opening of the SGI-USA El Monte Buddhist Center. Over 220 members and guests gathered for the morning and afternoon meetings in person, while

Seattle, Oct. 3, 2021—Sixty-one years ago, Ikeda Sensei visited Seattle, taking in the Douglas firs dotting the highway and boat traffic winding its way through the Ballard Locks. This past October, the same month as his visit, members from Greater Seattle and East King County regions refreshed their vow to spread peace in their community

by Kyler Nicholas Special to the Tribune Detroit, Sept. 12, 2021—For the members of Detroit and its surrounding cities, it was a homecoming worth the wait. After a nearly 18-month hiatus from in-person SGI activities, 150 Michigan Region members attended the long-anticipated grand opening of the SGI-USA Detroit Buddhist Center, with an additional 200 joining

The newly renovated SGI-USA Kentucky Buddhist Center opened its doors on Dec. 15, coinciding with the members’ kickoff toward 2020, the 60th anniversary of kosen-rufu in America. The anniversary takes on even more significance because it also commemorates 60 years since the first SGI member emerged in Kentucky. In a rousing celebration, three people began

On Oct. 13, members opened the SGI-USA Riverside Buddhist Center in Riverside, California. Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Judy White and Moreno Valley Unified School District’s Chief Business Official Susana Lopez joined the ribbon-cutting. To commemorate the grand opening, eight certificates of recognition were presented by five cities and three major entities. They are from:

by Jihii JollyCorrespondent BROOKLYN, N.Y., May 4–5—It was a rainy spring morning of cheers, laughter and standing ovations as members celebrated the soft opening of the SGI-USA Brooklyn Buddhist Center in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn (the official grand opening is slated for the near future). Located just blocks from the Atlantic Terminal transportation hub in the

by Judy OstrowSpecial to the Tribune Under the brilliant sun of an early spring day, hundreds of SGI-USA members of Connecticut Region and their guests gathered on April 7 to celebrate the opening of a new, state-of-the-art Buddhist center in downtown New Haven, Connecticut. The two-story 8,180-square-foot building, which replaces the region’s previous quarters in

by Mary Ishimoto MorrisSpecial to the Tribune CHANTILLY, Va., April 7—Cherry blossoms were in peak bloom on a beautiful spring day, as members celebrated the official opening of the SGI-USA Northern Virginia Buddhist Center in Chantilly, Virginia. At 6,000 square feet, this sparkling new center, just a few miles from the Washington Dulles International Airport,

Members and guests in Philadelphia ushered in the Year of Soka Victory on Jan. 1 with the reopening of the SGI-USA Philadelphia Buddhist Center, following an expansion and renovation. The 10,517-square foot center, located minutes away from City Hall, now includes six Gohonzon rooms and a lounge overlooking the world renowned arts and cultural institutions