Newsgroups: ba.general

                         Happy New Year, Everyone!


      It was a wonderful way to end a difficult and ever changing year in which
America experienced natural disasters, depressed economy, losses of jobs,
homelessness, inner city riots, racial confrontations, and a general election
leading to change of guards in the White House and in the Congress.  Many of us
feel so fortunate because we are healthy and live in this most blessed nation
on earth.

      That was the beginning of a lengthy discussion at a housewarming party in
Fremont, California on December 12th hosted by a Chinese-American family.  It
eventually led to a fund-raising event sponsored by a group of fifteen families
and supported by more than thirty religious, business, professional,
educational, and charity organizations from the San Francisco Bay area
Chinese-American community.

      The fund-raising drive was to help solicit contributions to support the
famine relief effort undertaken by the International Committee of Red Cross in
Somalia.  Program coordinators and volunteers distributed thousands of flyers
and put up dozens of large posters at shopping centers, supermarkets, churches,
and schools to invite the general public to attend a year-end dance/music
benefit party at the Chinese American Culture Center in Sunnyvale on December
30th.  Admission was free.

      The sponsoring individuals chipped in their shares to pay for the rental
charge of the place and incidental expenses.  They convinced the performing
artist group and the D.J. service to donate their time for the event, and the
Culture Center management to donate part of the rental charge to Red Cross as
well.

      The initial responses to the calls for support were very positive.  A
number of buddhists in Milpitas gave more than two thousand dollars at their
weekend gathering.  The Chinese Baptist Church of San Jose collected six
hundred and fifteen dollars for the "Somalia Relief Initiative" at their
Sunday service.

      Press coverage was extensive before, during, and after the event,
including a live broadcast by a news team from TV Channel 36 and a collection
of interviews and recordings related to this event broadcasted by the Voice of
America to its audience of an estimated 70 million people in China.  The media
was extremely helpful and supportive.  Every Chinese and English news
organization in town have reported the event at least once or more.

      A total of about two hundred people attended the event.  Many others did
not make it even though they planned to.  The sponsors learned from phone calls
from the Reno/Tahoe area that some of them were trapped there by the bad
weather conditions.  Others have gotten the flu which has been around the bay
area for the last few weeks.  These "missing-in-actions" have pledged that they
will follow up with their contributions later.

      The party started around 7:30PM and didn't end until one O'clock in the
morning.  The program included a short review of news clippings on the despair
famine in Somalia, an auction of many valuable paintings, calligraphics,
designer ceramics, wall decoration pieces, silk flower arrangements, and books
donated by supporting individuals and organizations.  In addition, it had a
fund-raising drive to allow the audience to donate cash for special requests
asking certain individuals at the event to perform on stage.  The teenage
volunteers also offered a group performance.  Everyone participated and had a
lot of fun.

      At the end of the program, the contributions collected was $9,063.33.
Outstanding cash receivables was $972.00 which brought the total to $10,035.33.
Donations in kind were more than twenty-two hundred dollars, including the
charges waived by the performing artists and the D.J., the rental and other
expenses, and the $750 rental reduced by the Culture Center.  Taking everything
into account, the total was a little over $12,200 for the fund drive.  All
donations will be turned over to the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American
Red Cross next week.  The sponsoring group continues to collect contributions.
Their mailing address is as follows:

     Somalia Relief, P.O. Box 160308, Cupertino, CA 95016-0308

      Please make checks payable to Red Cross and note on either side of it
that it is designated to the "Somalia Relief".  For further information, call
Ignatius Ding at (408) 446-2011, Jennifer Lin at (408) 446-3294 or the American
Red Cross at (408) 292 -6242.
Newsgroups: ba.general