Rena and John are guests at White House dinner

June 28, 2006

Rena Inoue and John Baldwin attended a state dinner at the White House on Thursday night to honor Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Rena, a native of Nishinomiya, Japan was invited with John to greet Koizumi on his final trip to the U.S. as his country’s prime minister.

Rena and John finished fourth in the World Championships and are defending U.S. National champions.

Ironically, Nishinomiya is the U.S. sister city of Spokane, Washington, the site of the 2007 U.S. National Championships.

Among the guests invited to the official dinner honoring Koizumi were: Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynne, cabinet members, senators and representatives and White House staff and their wives. Japanese artists,
businessmen and celebrities of the prime minister living in the U.S.also attended.

Other guests included:

Henry Aaron, senior vice president, Atlanta Braves, and Billye Aaron Ben Crenshaw, professional golfer, and Julie Crenshaw Robert Gaudio, original member of the Four Seasons, and Judy Gaudio
Masaharu Morimoto, Iron Chef, the Food Network, and Keiko Morimoto Soichi Noguchi, astronaut, U.S. Space Shuttle Discovery Apolo A. Ohno, speed skater, U.S. Olympic team and U.S. national team, and Maria John Nicholas Kelly
Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic figure skater, Always Dream Foundation, and Bret Hedican, Carolina Hurricane