SF Nihonmachi Street Fair 2021

Wear II Care & SF Hep B Free at San Francisco Nihonmachi Street Fair 2021

In celebration of the 47th Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair on August 7 & 8, 2021 in San Francisco, the Wear II Care initiative was proud to partner with the San Francisco Hep B Free foundation. The SF Hep B Free initiative supports local, state, and national advocacy efforts to increase awareness of hepatitis B among Asian and Pacific Islander (API) adults, to promote routine hepatitis B testing and vaccination and to ensure access to treatment for the chronically infected individuals.  

Founded in 1973, the Nihonmachi Street Fair was hatched as an idea to provide leadership and mentorship opportunities for the youth of San Francisco Japan-Town and to honor the cultural heritage that was, at the time, at risk of being displaced. Since then, the annual event has grown from a four-booth affair to a two-day event expected to draw over 30,000 attendees in 2018. The Nihonmachi Street Fair organizers have a long history of including local entertainment that has spanned genres from Taiko to hip-hop to salsa, rock, and jazz. Its mission is to engage and develop young Asian American leaders by building a community that celebrates our culture and diversity.

Meanwhile, San Francisco is reopening for events like the Nihonmachi Street Fair to celebrate community and to empower non-profits organizations like SF Hep B Free’s initiative; the COVID-19 variants became a growing threat to the community. 

The Wear II Care team has created a uniquely designed Sticker pack in company with a mask to give out to the Street Fair attendees. The designs were functional and fun; it integrated important information such as the Hep B Free foundation website and useful tips to combat COVID-19, such as “Get Vitamin D” and “Get Vaccinated”, in three cute Japanese traditional lucky cat fashion. The attendees can mix and match, put the design onto their masks, and wear them as a fashion statement.

We were pleased to learn that 1,000 Masks and 1,000 packs of stickers advocating for the SF Hep B Free initiative were fully distributed amongst the general public. 

“People were engaging this time. The Masks with stickers were amazing! They were a hot item at the fair!” The SF Hep B Free program manager, Mick Del Rosario

We are pleased to see how artworks work in unison with a larger purpose and mission, and can act as an effective medium to engage & empower communities with non-profit & educational initiatives.