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2008 Chinese New Year Celebration
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On Sunday, Feb. 3, over 1000 people gathered inside the Carlsen Center of Johnson
County Community College to celebrate and honor the most important Chinese holiday
of the year � the 2008 Chinese New Year. Super Bowl Sunday became a footnote
compared to the enthusiasm and excitement displayed by both young and old, new
residents and old friends, Chinese and other ethnic groups - all dressed up and ready to
welcome the New Year.
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This year's Chinese New Year Celebration
actually began on Saturday, Feb 2 inside The
Fortune Star Chinese Restaurant . A day before
the big show, more than 200 happy and hungry
people filled their stomachs and spirits, and thanks
to the owner of the restaurant, KCCA was able to
arrange an authentic Chinese holiday feast for
Kansas City's Chinese (and their friends). During
the luncheon, countless prizes were handed out to lucky winners (including children).
Entertainment included: tattoos, face painting, poker and a white elephant gift exchange.
Wanting to share in the day and as a way of saying, "Happy New Year", KCCA proudly
supported the day by subsidizing costs up to $30 per table.
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KCCA's slogan is "Connect Local Communities & Celebrate Chinese Heritage". In
honor of this concept, KCCA's Board of Directors
has taken a different approach in 2008, reaching out
to other communities and local corporations for
support. The inaugural Chinese New Year VIP
reception, held on Feb 3rd, was well received by more
than 150 local community leaders and executives
from major corporations. For most, this was their first
time attending such a cultural event.
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Beautiful and
elegant Chinese water paintings by He, DiRen, along with unique Chinese red lanterns,
transformed the Nerman Museum's atrium into one of the most coveted venues bringing
in the New Year. Bo Lings Chinese Restaurant, also joined in the fun, providing an array
of authentic Chinese food to distinguished guests. Twinkling lights, lingering Chinese
folk music, mouth-watering appetizers, and fascinating conversations, combined with
Chinese culture, prepared VIP guests for the best Chinese culture performance in Kansas
City's history.
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VIP guests included: Black & Veatch, Children's Hope International, Confucius Institute,
KC Ethnic Enrichment Commission, Edgar Snow Memorial Fund, Embarq, Garmin,
Greater KC Chinese School, Hallmark, HNTB, Johnson County Community College, JHJ
International Transportation, KCTV5, Asia American Chamber of Commerce, TsingHua
Alumni, Samsung, Sprint, US Postal Service SFS, Time Warner Cable, Waddell & Reed,
YRC, and consuls from Chinese Consulate General and Thai Consulate General. The
honorable guest for the evening, Deputy Consul General Xie, YunLiang, gave a
welcoming speech highlighting China's strong economy and the good relationships
between China and the US. He was followed by the Edgar Snow Foundation's
introduction by board member Jan Armstrong.
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To begin the show, a pair of muscular and energized
lions, followed by a sea of children in red, performed
the opening act with a drum dance. Then Deputy
Consul General Xie, YuanLiang wished everyone a
happy and prosperous new year. The two MCs for the
evening included the famous KCTV 5 news anchor
Surae Chinn and the Vice President of KCCA CJ Wei.
Both kept the audience entertained throughout the evening with precise and spontaneous
exchanges and introductions of performers.
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Heart-stopping fire-eating jugglers and
elegantly moving Tibetan dance ("Road to Paradise" performed by KCCA dance team
and choreographed and led by award winning
dancer Li Zhang) were both on display. Li and
KCCA dance team set the bar extraordinarily high
for this year's performances. Black & Veatch
Chairman, President and CEO Len Rodman' 5-
minute presentation and introduction was the
highlight of the evening. Mr. Rodman introduced
the newly founded KCCA Hope Fund, and he then
followed with the largest charitable sponsorship in
KCCA's history - a generous $5,000 donation. The proceeds from this donation will be
used to help fund childrens' education, particularly those located in China's rural areas.
KCCA's Hope Fund required an unprecedented and bold undertaking by our organization
in order to unify local Chinese communities and increase awareness regarding children in
need. Helping hands to aid such eager and precious little ones come at a critical time in
their development. Tammy Wang, KCCA's President, accepted the check joyously,
announcing that proceeds from the KCCA Dance Team and all KCCA sponsored events
will also be directed to the KCCA Hope Fund. During the show's intermission, hundreds
showed their support of the KCCA Hope Fund by filling the donation box with cash and
checks. Detailed distribution and utilization plans for these funds will soon be announced
by KCCA.
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To complete the show, standup comedian Steve
Kinsella surprised everyone with his remarkably
fluent Chinese and sense of humor. 12-year-old
Angela Li's solo dance followed, making a lasting
impression through her grace and elegance. At the
end of the show, Yijing Brentano, former KCCNA
president and Finance Director at Sprint, conducted
a drawing for two high-end cell phones donated by
Sprint. Celebrating a Chinese holiday tradition,
KCCA's Board of Directors gave out more than 300
"Hong Bao" (red envelopes) to kids under 12. Many who attended the celebration agreed
that the evening included the best Chinese New Year Celebration in Kansas City's
history. At the end, representing KCCA, Eric Xie - the Director of the Celebration,
expressed KCCA's appreciation toward the performers and volunteers for their
tremendous time and efforts spent on this extraordinary event.
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KCCA's Board of Directors, Committee Members and Advisory Board Members are all
determined to follow the overwhelming success of this year's celebration with
information, including keeping you informed regarding 2008 scheduled events, KCCA's
operational financial summary, the allocation of monies associated with the KCCA Hope
Fund, and member benefits. We encourage you to provide feedback, suggestions, and
comments on how to make KCCA a better, stronger, more visible organization for
members and surrounding communities as we move forward. With everyone's help and
support, we are confident that Kansas City is on its way to becoming one of the most
fully-supportive Chinese communities, and a place where all of us can proudly call home.
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