Cheers to 20 Years!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped make our 20th anniversary gala a spectacular celebration of Asian American leadership, philanthropy and community in the Bay Area.
Gala honorees Dado and Maria Banatao, inspiring role models in philanthropy, received a moving tribute from Banatao Family Filipino American Fund scholar Alex Tan. Alex shared his powerful story of persevering in the face of poverty, in large part thanks to Dado and Maria's selfless generosity. The Banataos were also honored with a heartwarming presentation by their three children, Rey, Desi and Tala.
Our Chang-Lin Tien Education Leadership Award recipient Dr. Ellen Junn, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at San Jose State University, delivered another emotional homage. She dedicated her award to her father who passed away just a week before the gala, but remains a lifelong source of inspiration.
Chinatown Community Development Center executive director Reverend Norman Fong shared why he is so committed to community, and how our commitment to giving back impacts the many Asians who fall outside of the model minority category.
Finally, the generosity of our event and auction sponsors elevated our milestone celebration to new heights, helping us raise over $240,000 that will support grants and services for our affiliate organizations. Our inaugural live auction set the crowd abuzz with show-stopping bids for brunch with author Amy Tan and dinner with actress Joan Chen, who both lit up the room with their charisma. The silent auction was also filled with exciting items donated by friends including Jerry Yang, Jeremy Lin, and our brilliant emcee, Raj Mathai. Congratulations and many thanks to all our auction winners!
You can view photos from the evening here and watch this video on why your support is so critical to the most vulnerable Asians and Pacific Islanders among us.
Thanks again for helping to make our 20th anniversary gala a truly memorable celebration!
With gratitude,
Audrey Yamamoto
President & Executive Director
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