Written by Kim Aban, Director, Calgary Japanese Community Association
Canada’s first SumoFest welcomed more than 10,000 people, sold out three shows, and raised meaningful funds for the Calgary Japanese Community Association’s Legacy Project. It also brought our culture to thousands of people who had never even thought to take part in one of our programs.
We began with a simple idea. We wanted to give Calgary a chance to experience world-class sumo in a setting shaped by Japanese culture. Guests could watch the athletes compete, explore the food, and spend time with family and friends. We hoped the weekend would feel welcoming to people who knew our community and to those meeting us for the first time. The fundraising followed.
Our association’s current goal is to redevelop the community centre so future generations have a place to gather, learn, and stay connected to their heritage. For years, like many nonprofits, we've relied on grants, sponsorships, donations, and generous supporters to help move that vision forward. Those partnerships remain incredibly important, but SumoFest showed us another path.
The festival raised roughly 80% more than our typical CJCA-run fundraisers in recent years, even as the costs of producing festivals have increased significantly. For us, that was a powerful indication that an event built around culture and community could also become a meaningful fundraising model. Guests bought tickets because the event caught their interest. They wanted to see sumo up close and take part in a cultural festival that felt new to Calgary. Their tickets also supported the future home of our association. That connection changed how I think about fundraising.
A community already holds much of what it needs to create support. Its value lives in the relationships people have built over time and in the knowledge they pass from one generation to the next. For the Calgary Japanese Community Association, SumoFest gave those strengths a public form. People could enter the space, meet us, and experience part of our culture for themselves.
Bringing the idea to life required a scale of production our volunteer-led association could not handle alone. International athletes needed travel arrangements. The venue had to support large crowds. Vendors and volunteers needed clear plans, and ticket sales required reliable technology. Months of decisions shaped every part of the weekend before the first guest arrived.
Showpass helped us manage that work. Their team brought experience with large events, ticketing, marketing, and financing. Our association guided the cultural side of the festival and stayed close to the community throughout the process. Each group worked from its own area of knowledge, which allowed the event to grow without losing the spirit behind it.
The funding for the Legacy Project gave SumoFest a lasting purpose. The weekend also changed the way people saw our association. Families discovered programs they had never heard about. Young people found new ways to connect with their heritage. Guests who arrived for the sumo left with a closer understanding of Japanese culture in Calgary.
Those encounters matter because support often grows through participation. A person who enjoys an event may return for a class, bring a friend to a future program, or follow the progress of the community centre. Over time, these small points of contact can grow into strong relationships.
SumoFest also showed us what becomes possible when an organization starts with something meaningful to its community. The right idea comes from the people, culture, and purpose already present. A capable partner can then help shape that idea into an event the public can join.
For our association, the weekend became part of the Legacy Project in a wider sense. The biggest lesson wasn't about fundraising at all, it was about belonging.
When you invite people into an experience that feels meaningful, they don't just buy a ticket, they become part of your story, and that's where lasting support begins.
Are you a charity looking to raise funds with an event? Reach out to our team here!
