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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 in San
Francisco 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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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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Emcee Ben Fong-Torres & Gala Co-Chairs:
Joyce Chan,
Agnes Lam, Darlene Mar Photo Credit: Alan Louie
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 https://chsa.org/, or
email info@chsa.org.
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