Blog: Thank You to the 'Olympian Gold Team' For a One of a Kind Benefit for Five Acres

It is one of our favorite dinning places at the Cal Tech's Athenaeum.

A place where the greatest minds of our generation cultivate and foster inventions that power the modern day. We feel it is the upmost importance to show our  appreciation for the "Olympian Gold Team" for all their dedication and hard work.

Guests in attendance were the dynamic duo co-chairs, Inger Miller (an Olympian gold metalist) & Jill Hawkins, Mr. & Mrs. Tom & Page Haralambos (Tom is the past president of Five Acres), Mr. & Mrs. Loakin & Chanel Boutakidis (Chanel is the CEO of Five Acres), Michele Hall, Cathy Clement, John Fosslman, Jasmine Abghari, Linda Lo (president of United Charity Foundation), Zehra Sun (VP of UCF) and myself (VP UCF).

Although it's been over a month since the Five Acres fundraiser gala "Swingin' On A Star - Up, Up and Away" at the Ambassador Campus on June 2, 2012, we finally have been able to meet on 7-18-12 to host and give a proper thank you to the "Olympian Gold Team" who raised much needed funds for the children of "Five Acres".

When president Linda Lo and I were on stage on 6-2-12 at the gala to receive the award from Tom Haralambos, a San Marino resident and past president of Five Acres, our emotions were so high that I was at a loss of words to express my thank you speech I prepared. However, what I said at the time was from my heart and people told me it was eloquent & wonderful.

I would like to take this opportunity to say a proper "Thank You" to the Olympian gold team of Five Acres.

Good evening ladies & gentlemen:

The three Chinese virtues of sincerity, kindness, and beauty

First - the sincerity (zhēn) of the heart.

Second – the kindness (shèn) of your heart.

Third – the beauty (mě  i) of the heart.

All three virtues joined together, in Chinese, symbolize  “Absolutely Beautiful.”  It is through our love and understanding for the blessings we have been given that we come together tonight as a testament to how there are no coincidences or accidents when it comes to the giving spirit…in this case the benefactors of the Five Acres’ children and their families that they served…Five Acres touches the lives of nearly 5,000 children and their families.

On behalf of the United Charity Foundation and I, we want to thank you. It is an honor and privilege to be recognized by Five Acres on our charity works at the annual fundraiser gala. The Chinese community is fully engaged on the philanthropic endeavor, because it’s the right thing to do. Our president, Linda Lo, believes that “giving is receiving” and by supporting organizations throughout our community, we can help ensure all children are able to have a successful future

But tonight it’s not about me or UCF really…it’s about the children of Five Acres and you!

In light of everything that has happened in the past decade it is my realization that the safest and most secure investment is our children.  Our children are the seeds of the future.  As much as you’ve heard people say that, our children are our way of passing on the values, morals, and ethics necessary to make the community they inherit that much better.  It is by teaching them compassion, morals, and philanthropic hearts, that we can assure that the world is a better place than the way we left it.  As family, parents, friends, educators, investing in our children is our way of securing our future.    THE YOU PART…

We’ve all heard that “giving is receiving,” but new scientific research is proving & confirming that this is literally true.   In fact, scientists have recently uncovered a physiological basis for what they call the “helper’s high.”  By monitoring the brain activity of test subjects asked to think about how they would give away an imaginary sum of money to charity, researchers discovered that thinking philanthropically lights up the same sections of the brain responsible for pleasure through eating good food and sexual activity!  (Reference Stephen Post’s new book, The Hidden Gifts of Helping.)

Another note: the children today will become adults tomorrow, 5, or 10 years from now when they are the constituency voters that will be voting for our social security programs and benefit….on that note, it’s necessary to educate them to have the critical thinking skills to cast the right vote.

Abraham Lincoln said “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother”   I too agreed with that sentiment.

My late mother often said to me in Chinese, 'I love you and I wish you enough'.

I didn’t think much at the time, but gave my polite response, “ok love you too”

 Today as the daughter,  my reply is, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too with all my heart and soul at your eternal garden…I LOVE YOU Mom'.

 Let me ask 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it

 could be forever?

Unfortunately, the passing of my mom was so sudden that I never had the chance to really show her how much I loved her.

Life is precious…make sure you let your loved ones know that you value them and love them…every chance you have so you will not be regret

  A wish from our family to all of you tonight ---

'I wish you enough' to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them'.

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.

I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may

appear bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

I wish that you continue your support to Five Acres and make a different to the children life.

And you too will have attained the “Absolutely Beautiful” Life and be happy!

TAKE TIME TO LIVE...

 To all my friends and love ones, I WISH YOU ENOUGH.