CCBA fund raising for the wildfire
The "CCBA & Overseas Chinese Associations hosted a Charity Fundraising Gala for the Wildfire Victims" was held at Golden Dragon Restaurant in Chinatown, attended by 350 guests. In a span of 3 hours of disaster relief activities, it netted a fundraising amount of US$36,000 after subtracting the banquet expense.
CCBA tradition calls for the four chiefs hosting a dinner banquet for guests and leaders of the Overseas Chinese Associations on their inauguration day. One week later, it was supposedly the reverse with the Overseas Chinese Associations to host a similar dinner banquet for the four chiefs. A Southern California devastating wildfire occurred on January 6th consuming more than 10,000 buildings and affected hundreds of thousands of people. CCBA four chiefs held an emergency meeting on the 11th and unanimously passed a resolution to change the 12th tribute dinner to “CCBA & Overseas Chinese Associations Charity Fundraising Gala for the Wildfire Victims". Once announced, it received a tremendous response and support.
Prior to the fundraising party, volunteers sold out quickly 100 Korean silk scarves donated by Norman Nie’s wife, Luo Shuzhen, and fresh flowers donated by CCBA advisor Jeannie Wong.
CCBA President Norman Nie expressed his special thanks to the United States Wong Tai Sen Charity Foundation initiating the fundraising campaign by donating 48 bottles of specially made red wine with names of all 27 Overseas Chinese Associations for $100 each. He said the wildfires are ruthless and hoped everyone’s generosity can make a strong contribution to assist those wildfire victims.
Taipei Economics and Cultural Office in Los Angeles Deputy Director General Sara Chen, who just arrived shortly to Los Angeles to assume her new deputy director assignment, witnessed this strong showing from CCBA and its Overseas Chinese Associations. She attended the USA Tzu Chi press conference yesterday and provided over 10,000 N95 masks and three boxes of goggles as well as other supplies via a Taiwan Overseas Chinese, who delivered these items through China Airlines to frontline relief workers. She also mentioned there will be additional medical supplies for the fire victims.
Pan American Chinese Friendship Association Chief Executive Michael Cheung, CCBA senior advisors Derek Ma and Edwin Ma, American Vietnamese-Cambodian-Liao Chinese Association representative Luo Ming, Los Angeles Panyu Association Chairman Shen Junhai, Southern California Chinese Universities Alumni Association Zeng Xiangyu, California Taiwan Fellowship Association President Chu Jinqi, CCBA Supervisor Chairwoman Kathleen Cheung made speeches to call on everyone’s contribution and donation, as "happiness is not inevitable while disaster can happen to anyone".
CCBA Vice President Lester Gee and Supervisor Deputy Chairman Kin Wai Ng expressed their gratitude to all guests. A charity sale was also being held at the venue with former Supervisor Vice Chairman Lin Zhongbo’s self-painting as well as individual/group singing to raise additional fund. The 3-hours fundraising activities collected more than US$33,000 after subtracting the night’s banquet cost. It is further estimated the grand fundraising total to exceed US$40,000.