See
Gala Pictures!
L to R: Don
F. Tang, Suzanne Joe Kai, Dr. Albert Y.C. Yu, Lorna Ho, Dr. Kenneth
Fong,
Dr. William C.Y. Lee, Ben Fong-Torres, Dr. David S. Lee Photo
Credit: Alan Louie
San
Francisco --
More than 700 people from around the nation paid tribute to pioneers
in Science and Technology April 21 at a celebrity-studded evening
that raised more than a quarter million dollars to build a museum
celebrating Chinese American achievements in America.
The event commemorated scientific and technological contributions
of Chinese Americans from the 1960's to the present.
CHSA 2001 gala honorees are Kenneth
Fong, Biotechnology; David
Lee, Peripherals: William
Lee, Telecommunications Industry; Don
Tang, Aerospace Industry; Albert
Yu, Semiconductor Industry; and a corporate honor was bestowed
to Yahoo!
for the Internet Industry.
AC Team's Ben
Fong-Torres, writer, editor and broadcaster, Suzanne
Joe Kai, co-founder of AsianConnections.com, and Lorna Ho,
Webcaster of Yahoo! FinanceVision were co-emcees of the sold-out
event.
The gala raised funds for the completion of the long anticipated
Chinese Historical Society of America's (CHSA) Fall 2001 opening
of the Chinese American National Museum and Learning Center in
San Francisco's Chinatown.
CHSA is the oldest and largest not-for-profit organization in
the world dedicated to Chinese America. The only institution of
its kind, CHSA boasts the largest holding of Chinese American
artifacts--over 50,000 items--that has yet to be shown fully to
the public. CHSA has completed a $1.2 million capital campaign.
Donors contributing funds by June 1st, 2001 will be permanently
listed on the donor wall to be unveiled at the museum's grand
opening.
Yahoo! produced an exciting multi-media presentation which filled
the Westin St. Francis Hotel's Grand Ballroom with huge screen
video profiles of the honorees, produced and narrated by Lorna
Ho. Music and digital video effects were supplied by Xenon.
Evening highlights included the signing of a "digital wall" by
honorees and donors led by CHSA capital campaign chairs and gala
advisors Gerrye
Wong and Doris Him Grover. Gold coins donated by Wells Fargo
Bank and the Society's plaques were presented by CHSA's Executive
Director Melissa M. Szeto and President Joannie Chang.
Congratulatory remarks were made by the first Asian American in
the White House Presidential Cabinet, Undersecretary of Transportation,
Norman Mineta.
Numerous dignitaries from Senator Barbara Boxer to San Francisco
Mayor Willie L. Brown paid tribute to the hundreds of people who
have contributed to the development of the national museum, a
project that was envisioned by historical society members more
than 38 years ago.
Brown proclaimed April 21st as a day celebrating CHSA's achievements,
and surprised capital campaign co-chairs Gerrye Wong and Doris
Him Grover with awards of recognition. Senator John Burton and
others congratulated the organizers including co-chairs Joyce
Chan, Agnes Lam, and Darlene Mar.
CHSA's goal is to maintain a research and education center, and
a museum to study, record, and exhibit books, artifacts, and works
of art pertinent to the history and contributions of the Chinese
in America.
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|
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Emcee
Ben Fong-Torres & Gala Co-Chairs:
Joyce Chan, Agnes Lam, Darlene Mar
Photo Credit: Alan Louie
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After
the reception, dinner and awards ceremony guests danced into the
wee hours of the night to hot band Jest Jammin'.
CHSA's
raffle and silent auction chair Frank Jang garnered an amazing
array of prize donations from restaurants, hotels, businesses
and individuals including the Peninsula Hotel Group, American
Airlines, China Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Southwest Airlines,
Wells Fargo Bank, Manu-Imports, Tommy Toy's Chinoise Restaurant,
and a banquet for ten hosted by famed TV Chef Martin Yan.
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For more information about the Museum's opening and sending in
your donations, please contact CHSA, 965 Clay Street, San Francisco,
CA 94108, telephone (415) 391-1188, fax (415) 391-1150, website
at http://www.chsa.org/,
or email info@chsa.org.
