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An evening of fun and entertainment was had by all at our 2017 annual Chinese New Year Banquet held February 14 at the Empress Pavilion in Chinatown. This was the first year in recent memory that the banquet was held the same day as the Golden Dragon Parade. With expected crowds at the parade of over 110,000, there was concern that traffic and parking could be problematic for banquet attendees. Fortunately, the 5:30 start time was late enough so as to not pose a conflict.

Attendance at the banquet was lighter than previous years, but still we had a very sizable crowd. The evening started with the traditional Lion Dance followed by announcements and the invitation to contribute to the Anhui Healing Home charitable initiative. The Chinatown Queen and her Court attended for the evening. They had already attended three other events that day including riding in the parade, so we were very fortunate to have them. Many of our younger members took advantage of the opportunity to have their photo taken with the Queen and her Court.

Mihn Tran always brings joy to the children. He adds a few things each year, so it's fun to see what's been updated. And many of his stunts never get old, jumping rope on the balance board for example. He's been described as the hardest working performer in LA giving over 300 performances per year. Our trusted deejay also did a great job again this year keeping the energy high and the feet moving to the rhythms on the dance floor.

Overall the event was a great success. Check out a photo album from the event on our Facebook page HERE.

The Orange County Regional Group had a busy end to the Year of the Horse, with three popular events.

In September we introduced a new Chinese dance class in Irvine at DanceLova Dance Academy, taught by Artistic Director Ivy Chen. All eleven girls who participated enjoyed the lesson, and gave a short energetic performance for parents. We plan to offer another session like this in 2015.

Our annual Art Workshop moved to a new location in November, as it was held at Michael’s craft store in Tustin. Turnout was excellent for the two sessions of art instruction on the theme “sea life”. Parents were given the opportunity to order gifts, such as mugs, potholders, cards, etc., made from their children's artwork. Some moms sat down with the kids and created their own works of art!

Wrapping up the year as always was our potluck Holiday Party in December. The highlight of the evening was the second year of FCC’s Got Talent! The show incorporated stellar singing, dance and piano performances with impromptu group participation numbers. Also University High School China Care hosted a Craft Fair for China Care at the event and raised $77.50 from the sale of bracelets, bows, ornaments and other crafts hand made by the FCC kids.

A multitude of thanks are due to the small group of dedicated volunteers that made these special occasions possible and to everyone who contributed their time and talents.

These events create lasting memories and friendships for our children and the families that participate. Consider becoming more involved in this New Year, to help create additional activities and ensure the continuation of these annual events. Contact [email protected].

Happy Year of the Sheep!

FCC-SoCal went camping the weekend of November 7,8 and 9! Under the leadership of Board member Sandy Draper, an intrepid group of FCC-SoCal members braved the cool weather and a shut down of water pipes in the park, but had a great experience sleeping in tents, sharing smores at a campfire, and exploring the Casper Wilderness Park, located in Orange County not far from San Juan Capistrano.

Some of the campers are now talking of another camping trip to a nearby National Park, maybe in the spring or next summer. We’ll keep you posted!

In lieu of a heritage day festival this year, FCC-SoCal’s Board of Directors has been applying its efforts to the selection of a worthy charitable initiative to carry FCC-SoCal through 2014. One of FCC-SoCal’s stated goals is “To promote the health and welfare of and to assist orphaned, abandoned and other children remaining in China’s social welfare institutions.” Unfortunately, due to a shortfall of volunteer resources, this goal in the last several years has not been met. It’s time to change that.

Please join us by giving your full support to FCC-SoCal’s 2014 charitable initiative – support for the nutritional needs of the Anhui Healing Home through Love Without Boundaries (LWB).

Love Without Boundaries is a non-profit organization providing help to orphaned and impoverished children in China through education, foster care, healing homes, medical, nutrition and orphanage assistance. And LWB's Anhui Healing Home (AHH) was the very first outreach home in China devoted to caring exclusively for vulnerable babies born with cleft needs.

To kick off this nutritional initiative for the Anhui Healing Home, FCC-SoCal will be showing its support through a donation of $2000. While this is a significant donation, collectively we can do more. We ask all FCC-SoCal members with the means to contribute generously to this worthy cause. Please add your donation to this initiative using the link provided by LWB below. Any amount is appreciated and all contributions are tax deductable. Payments can be made using PayPal or credit card.

Kindly make your donation by clicking here.

Together we can make a real difference in the lives of children in China who we hope one day will heal and go on to find their own loving families, just as our own adored children have found theirs.