The most common remark at this time of year is “Where did this year go?” So, in this column, we are playing catch-up on the many events that we didn’t have a chance to report on during a very busy year. Thanks to all you readers who sent me notices on you and your organizational and family events. Keep them coming in 2008.
Organizations on the Move
San Francisco Chinatown’s YMCA annual golf tourney and crab feed raised over $50,000 for the group’s Capital Campaign Fund, which is slowly but surely reaching completion with preliminary construction promised within the next few months. It’s been a multiyear struggle to remodel and add on to the historic YMCA building, which influenced so many of the Chinatown boys’ lives in the 1900s and continues to do so to this day, but the generous million-dollar donation from the Sinclair Louie family has helped to give the campaign a big boost. Chairman Louie Kwok reports that those supporting the cause through their golf prowess were individual winners Harold Suen, Milton Jang, Greg Low, Ah Hing, and first place team champs Herb Lee, George Pon, John Loy Wong and Steve Young, followed by Phil Abrams, Kingstron Eng, Ah Hing and Ray Leong.
Silicon Valley’s Foon Hay Seniors Golf Club capped the year with its traditional officers’ change- over at their annual Dynasty Restaurant Holiday Party. 2008 officers are President Roger Eng, Chuck Leong, Miriam Ngai, Ken Gee, Chris Houlihan, Jane Chan, Clarence Bakken and Harvey Tom. Arranging the upcoming year’s tournaments will be Chairs Richard Woo and Philip Chai. Entertaining the more than 120 golfers who attended were Ken Chin, Irene Wong and Valerie Jeung, demonstrating ballroom dances and teaching line dancing to this athletic crowd. Awards went to 2006 Club Champions Ronnie Wong and Pauline Lee, and 2007 Club Champs Bill Don and Gerrye Wong. “Hole-in-One” honors went to Harvey Tom and Howard Lum, and the “Most Improved Player” award went to Willie Chu. For more info: foonhay.org
The Pacific Asian American Women Bay Area Coalition hosted a reception at San Francisco Center’s Nordstrom Conference Room and introduced Suk Lee, design director of Classiques Entier, followed by a fashion show of her collections. Chairman Anita Fong welcomed new friends and former Coalition “Women Warriors” to this Korean designer’s fashion presentation, and introduced Nordstrom executives who collaborate with the Coalition for annual co-sponsorships.
Individuals in the News
Much praise is in order for Dr. Abraham Poon of San Jose, who has spearheaded Living Stones Village, an orphanage for disabled and abandoned children in Guangxi Province, China. As members of the support team, Amy Lee, Ken and Wendy Eng point out that Living Stones Village’s mission is to give orphaned children parental care and guidance. They have acquired 80 acres in Nankang, Beihai, with plans to build family units and education, rehab and activity centers for these physically challenged youngsters. For such an ambitious project, they need help. Go to livingstonesvillage.org.
Congratulations to San Diego native Dr. Matt Hom and wife Julie, who have recently opened in La Jolla a MedSpa & Wellness Center, a holistic medical clinic dedicated to optimizing good health, minimizing illnesses and reducing stress. Matt and his team develop personalized lifestyle programs to identify life’s risk factors and educate patients on energy improvement, cardiac disease treatment and optimal fitness, something everyone in this busy world needs to think about. Good New Year’s resolution? Check out Rejuve-LaJolla.com.
Let’s herald amazing woman Connie King, Locke’s unofficial mayor, an 84-year-old dynamo who makes things happen. Although hampered by rheumatoid arthritis, she leads tours of the unique city of Locke, the only California town historically established by Chinese in the late 1800s. As former Delta resident Eddie Jang tells us, Locke was once a thriving gold rush haven for Chinese farmworkers and gamblers. The town still has many of its original wooden buildings, its Chinese school and wooden sidewalks, which Connie shows off to visiting tour companies. Battling state legislation that prohibited one from owning the land beneath their homes for decades, she has now made it possible for people to own the land. She has also established a garden on the main street, which needs funding to keep maintained, to memorialize those Chinese pioneer settlers.