For many people, springtime means longer days, warmer weather, and blooming flowers. At Intrax, it also means one more important tradition: WAY Day.
WAY Day is Intrax’s annual day of service held in honor of company founders Takashi Yokota and John Wilhelm. Each year, employees across Intrax offices around the world step away from their desks, glove up, and spend the day giving back to their local communities.
This year’s San Francisco volunteer event took place at the beautiful San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park. The 55-acre living museum is home to more than 8,000 plant varieties from across the globe, making it a fitting place for a company built around international connection and cultural exchange.
The day began with a warm welcome from Lisa, the head gardener, who introduced the team to the day’s assignments. Employees split into groups to weed, spread mulch, clear pathways, and help beautify different areas throughout the park.
Of course, no WAY Day visit to the gardens would be complete without stopping by the engraved paver honoring Takashi Yokota and John Wilhelm, the namesake behind the tradition itself.
It was hard not to be struck by the beauty of this hidden gem tucked away in the middle of San Francisco. The day became even more special when a group of Ayusa YES Grant students, who were wrapping up a California trip, happened to be in San Francisco and were able to join the volunteer efforts.
One of the students summed up the spirit of the day perfectly:
“It feels nice to help the community.”
As the day came to a close, the group looked proudly at the piles of weeds removed, freshly laid mulch, and newly prepared flower beds before gathering for the tradition that officially caps off every WAY Day: the group photo.
In the end, WAY Day is about more than volunteering. It’s a reminder that cultural exchange doesn’t only happen through travel. Sometimes it happens through shared work, shared purpose, and showing up for the communities around us.
