2008 Events

Fourth Open House

October 19, 2008

 

Our Foundation celebrated four years of grant making and outreach cultural activities with an afternoon open house at the Gramercy Park party room in Richfield on October 19.   Several award recipients, including Arts Midwest, Patrick Henry High School and artist Tacoumba Aikens recapped highlights of their award activities.  Zhiguo Ye, a recipient of the Foundation's Fellowship in WWII in East Asia at the Department of History of the University of Minnesota also reported on the progress of her doctoral research.

Greg Hugh, of China Insight, revisited the highly successful communitywide event, A Passage to China, that was a collaboration between China Insight and our Foundation.  Yin Simpson talked about the many outreach activities of the Foundation's calligraphy team; and Pearl Bergad gave a summary of President Bush's speech on volunteering that she attended at the White House last month.

Fred and Jennie Hsiao were on hand to receive the Chinese Minnesotan of Note Award that our Foundation had bestowed on Fred (give reference to article in China Insight.  Sandra Vargas, president and CEO of The Minneapolis Foundation, praised us for our multifaceted activities, both in the Twin Cities and elsewhere in Minnesota.  TeaSource, a longtime and steadfast supporter, provided delicious teas to complement the many savory treats, some prepared by 94-year-old member Moon Fong, served.
 

 

A Passage to China

May 17, 2008

 

CHF presented the first A Passage to China at Southdale Mall.  Read about the excitement generated by this community wide event here.
 

Chinese New Year Celebration

February 16, 2008

How to celebrate a tradition and embrace the new at the same time? For CHF, the answer lay in mixing the two in an eclectic array of real traditional practices and simulated fun: roasted suckling pig and fresh vegetables poached to retain maximum nutrients and texture; fortune telling and a speed getting-to-know-you game; and bowing respectfully to elders and celebrating the young in a mock firecrackers game.

The event, at the Gramercy Park party room, drew a capacity crowd consisting of both CHF members and newcomers. There was a lot of chatting going on as newcomers got acquainted with each other and old members renewed their friendships of old. The food, prepared jointly under the careful supervision of Yin Simpson and Bob Bergad, was a hit, pleasing to the eye and enticing to the palette. One member commented, 'I have never eaten so well and so healthy!' Bob's ginger cookies flew off the platter in record time. He could have made twice as many and have none left over.

Ming Tchou, our president, delighted in the hugs she received from the children and single, young adults who came to greet her and to receive their hong bao. Margaret Wong led everyone through a game of fun facts about Chinese New Year and introduced our Emperor and Empress of the evening, George Maverick and Cindy Bai. Clad in hand made imperial robes, they were joined by Dr. & Mrs. C. C. Hsiao and Dr. & Mrs. Sping Lin, also dressed in traditional finery, nd together they bestowed their blessings on us common folk on this auspicious occasion. The evening's festivities were capped by the young and old setting off firecrackers together: only this time popping balloons took the place of real firecrackers. Judging by the sound and excitement created, who would have known the difference?

 See photo gallery...