Thank you for coming to the 21st Annual Families with Children from China Chinese New Year banquet and for making it a smashing success!

It was great to see familiar families, families who haven’t come in a few years and to meet new families! We had some of our traditional festivities; i.e., the DJ, East Wind Foundation Lion Dancers, the Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Queen and her court, the magician, and of course, the bubble wrap! This year we also had a few teen tables and a photo booth – both were a hit!

This year through the generosity of our members our opportunity drawings raised $795 for the One Sky Foundation. We had lots of prizes and lots of happy winners!

Members have expressed interest in a Heritage Day event. FCC-SoCal would love to organize this for our members but we need your help. We simply cannot do this without the help of volunteers. The event could feature Chinese traditions; i.e., food, crafts, musical instruments, calligraphy, language, dance, kung fu, etc. If you could share you talents or share the name of someone who would like to help with this event, please email us here.

In order to keep the organization going we are also looking for volunteers to chair or join one of the following committees: communications, website development, membership, and fundraising. Please reach out to Valerie or Kathy if you are interested in helping out.

Please join our Facebook page and private Facebook Group (FCC-SoCal Group) to get the most update-to-date information on events.

On behalf of FCC Board of Directors, Thank you!

Valerie Allen Kathy Hauck Karen Drew Arlene Balkin
Co-President Co-President Secretary Treasurer

A message from Albert Olson:
Greetings FCC-SoCal Members,

I hope everyone is having a very productive and enjoyable spring season. It is amazing to consider that we are already 4 months into the new year, and three months past our delightful CNY Banquet, of which we have many fond memories.

Our FCC-SoCal Board of Directors held its Annual Meeting this past Sunday (April 30th), and I am pleased and happy to report to you that the future of our venerable organization is in very good hands. We elected to the Board four new Directors, and selected a new group of Officers to serve as our leadership team going forward. The new Officer team is:

• Co-Presidents: Kathleen Hauck & Valerie Allen
• Secretary: Karen Drew
• Treasurer: Arlene Balkin

As you all know, especially the many of you who attended our meeting last October where we discussed the future of FCC-SoCal, the organization is at a crucial juncture in its existence. The demographic of our membership is gradually shifting to older families and older adopted children, and there are many paths that the organization can possibly take to fulfill the needs and desires of the membership. I would like to thank Kathy, Valerie, Arlene, and Karen, for stepping up and volunteering to take on leadership responsibilities for FCC-SoCal at this time. I am looking forward to seeing the directions they will take FCC-SoCal over the next few years. The outgoing team of Directors is committed to assisting in this transition period, and it is my hope that many of you will also come forward to assist our new leadership team in molding the organization into the vessel you all would like it to become.

And finally, I would like to personally recognize the outgoing Board members for all that they have done for FCC-SoCal over the past many years. I am indebted to all of you for donating so much of your time and talents to keeping 'the lights on' at FCC-SoCal. Your dedication to improving the lives of our families and children, and the friendships among us that have evolved over the years, has truly made this a wonderful experience for me. I'd like to ask all of our membership to join me in thanking Ben Luce, Judy Marasco, Ann Marie Rousseau, Sandy Draper, and D'Lee Mayberry for their years of dedication and service to FCC-SoCal. You are all wonderful.

I look forward to seeing many of our FCC members at future events, and especially at next year's annual CNY Banquet.

Best Wishes,

Albert Olson - Outgoing President

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.