Nearly 20 volunteers from Camp Zama, Japan, helped Saturday during Tour of Japan, the largest international bicycle race in Japan. Sagamihara was the site of the seventh and penultimate stage of the race, which concluded in Tokyo. (Tim Flack, U.S. Army Garrison Japan Public Affairs) ()
SAGAMIHARA, Japan – The penultimate stage of Japan’s largest international bicycle race was held here Saturday, and nearly 20 volunteers from Camp Zama were there to help.
The volunteers assisted with Tour of Japan, a multistage race that this year spanned from Osaka to Tokyo, by setting up vehicle and pedestrian barriers along a portion of the route near Sagamihara’s Hashimoto Park.
The group departed from Camp Zama early Saturday morning and split into two groups once they arrived before meeting with race officials who assigned them their tasks and gave them instructions.
In one group were Charlie and Jamie Clauss and their sons, Sebastian and Seamus. Jamie, who works at the Camp Zama Red Cross, said she and her family are always looking for ways to help with events outside the installation.
“I just thought this would be a great event that the kids could take part in, [we could] do it as a family, and help the community at the same time,” Jamie said. “We always try to find things to do together and give back to the community while we get to be together. This was perfect.”
The Clauss family and the other volunteers set up pylons and barrier bars on the sidewalk and at side roads so that spectators could safely observe and so that vehicles could not enter the race route.
“This was our first big volunteering opportunity [as a family],” Sebastian said. “It was enjoyable, and I felt good being able to give back to the community that I live in. It felt nice to know that we were part of this big thing that the Army helped with.”
Master Sgt. Stephen Graves, assigned to the 38th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, tries to volunteer wherever he is stationed because he said he thinks it is important to become a steward of one’s community. The race was his last opportunity to volunteer in Japan before he leaves the country Friday.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of my Soldiers as I get ready to depart about how when we come over here, we’re uprooted from our community, from our support systems that we have, and we essentially have to start from scratch,” Graves said. “It starts by volunteering and putting yourself out in the community and becoming part of the community. That’s really all I’m trying to do, is set that standard for my Soldiers.”
The fact that nearly 20 people from Camp Zama, both adults and youth, showed up to help with an early morning event on a holiday weekend shows that the installation has a great community full of individuals who love giving back, Graves said. Getting to help with such a large-scale event in Japan was absolutely amazing, he said.
“Throughout my entire career I’ve always admired and hoped and dreamed about coming over here,” he said. “And to spend two years here with the culture, with the country of Japan, has been something that I now get to share with my family and my grandchildren one day.”
Prior to the start of the race, many of the cyclists passed by in a parade that included participation from Sagamihara Mayor Kentaro Motomura. He noted that this year marked the third time the city has hosted one of the stages of Tour of Japan and said it was heartening to have volunteers from Camp Zama and host the event as one team.
“We frequently attend each other’s events as a way to deepen our cultural exchange, such as our city’s Giant Kite Festival and Camp Zama’s Bon Odori Festival,” Motomura said. “We take every opportunity we can to strengthen our partnership. As good friends, we would like to continue to deepen those ties.”
Tour of Japan is just one event he hopes will help foster civic pride and make Sagamihara known to a larger and more diverse audience, Motomura said. Hopefully, both residents and visitors will come to think of the city as a place to do fun outdoor activities such as camping and riding bicycles, he said.
“We want to continue taking advantage of opportunities like this to increase the number of fans of our city, not only throughout Japan but also from the Camp Zama community,” he said.
