Holiday gift-giving and festivities got off to a rousing start when a wonderful gift of $100,000 was donated by philanthropists Edwin and Margaret Lee to the University of California during this year’s Big Game Dinner Dance on Nov. 30.
The major donors were greeted with thunderous applause for their generous endowment fund, which will enable the university to give two scholarships of approximately $2,000 each annually to students with financial need. It was the thrill of the evening.
Representing the university were Interim Vice Chancellor Harry La Grande and Linda Rico from the Office of Community Relations and Students’ Financial Aid. The Perpetual Scholarship Fund is affiliated with the University of California’s Chinese Alumni Association.
Margaret was a foreign student when she first came to the United States, and her husband, Edwin, and two sons are Cal alumni. Congratulations and thank you, Margaret and Edwin Lee!
A razzle-dazzle evening — featuring hip-hop and rap artistry performed by Jason Hill and Ms. Bee, and a fashion show — was sponsored by a U.C. Berkeley student group to benefit the SF Hep B Free Campaign. The Dec. 9 event, titled “Rock the Jade,” was hosted by Team HBV, a chapter of the Asian Liver Center and currently the only student-run non-profit collegiate organization in the United States that addresses hepatitis B and liver cancer in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Today’s young, trend-setting fashions were led by Elaine Tai, Helen Hyon and Denis Lam, the group’s president and founder.
Student designers paraded a number of cute and attractive dresses and outfits by Michelle Fong, Aalia Mann, Theresa Lee, Marya Gates, Ella and Zara Khan, and Waterfall. More smart accessories were shown by Kirribella and Golden Bleu.
Giving annually to the community are the good ladies of the Chinatown Opti-Ms. Club, whose beneficiaries this year were Angel Island Station, APA Family Support Services, Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Chinatown YMCA, Chinese Hospital Auxiliary, S.F. Public Library, Linking Rings, On Lok, Salvation Army, St. Mary’s and the.
Crowned “Queen of the 2007 Holiday Ball” was Emily Leong, escorted by Ed Chan and serenaded by Lance Gow.
A charming “Bay Area Follies” program was led recently by multitalented Gil Chun in a diverse program of Happy Hula Dancers, Swinging Dixie Tappers, Ukulele Ensemble, jazz dancers, waltzing, modern dance and ballet. Most amusing were the “mysterious tap dancers” in the “Case of the Tap Dance Murders,” a funny sort of whodunit skit held at the Cowell Theatre in Fort Mason. This year marks the 16th performance of the “Bay Area Follies,” with the number of performers having grown from 25 to 86. And if you’d like to see all the charmers, instructor Gil has a 2008 calendar of pictures of all the performers from across the Bay Area.
Wonder of wonders: Definitely a great gift to our Bay Area audience is the United States premiere of “Kooza,” the latest Cirque du Soleil show. The spectacular acts of “Kooza” leave the audience gasping at the daring feats of acrobatic skill. A real showstopper is the Chinese acrobat who stacks about 12 chairs, one atop the others, precariously. You’ll want to hold your breath (and don’t make any noise). “Kooza” will play in San Francisco’s AT&T Park until Jan. 13, then go on to San Jose.
Finally, a gift of love, patience and perseverance has culminated in the grand opening of the new, very nice, affordable, low-cost housing in Oakland’s Lion Creek Crossings. Well-planned and designed by a contingent of architects and developers, the new affordable housing in Oakland is a real testimony of what our taxpayers’ dollars can accomplish via the East Bay Asian Local Development Corp., Oakland Housing Authority, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, California Department of Housing and 12 years of good cooperative planning. A Merry Christmas to all the lucky families who will get new homes for the holidays!
