The Chinese Parents Booster Club (CPBC) hosted its annual fundraising gala to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse at the Arcadia Masonic Center on Feb. 28. Throughout the night, attendees enjoyed a variety of performances, including Kung Fu by Fong’s Kung Fu, Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Orchesis Dance Company, the Lark Chamber Orchestra, and more.
It’s clear that the CPBC puts a lot of time into their daily schedules to make such a wonderful gala, creating a tight-knit club. They organize this event every year to raise money for a range of clubs and organizations at AHS.
“We help raise funds for the school to support all kinds of different activities, including academics, sports, performing arts courses, and more,” said co-president Vivie Niu.
As the event began and patrons, including staff, parents, and students, filed in, co-chair Tracy Tang, who was in charge of the performances, described how the booster club specifically highlights Chinese traditional acts that embody culture. Some of these showcases included mysterious and captivating Sichuan Opera Face Changing, the Lion Dance, and the God of Fortune, who passed out red envelopes.
Patrons ate a nine-course dinner designed to bring blessings such as prosperity, longevity, togetherness, and abundance. Catered by Cafe Fusion, the guests enjoyed dishes such as lobster salad, king oyster mushrooms with bok choy, pineapple shrimp fried rice, and a grand finale of taro and sweet potato balls with sesame rice balls.
A silent auction was held throughout the evening, and the winners of the lucky drawing went home with their one-of-a-kind prize. Gorgeous, vivid flowers were centerpieces at each table, and guests bought them for $30. There were a variety of prizes, some ranging up to several hundred dollars in market value. Meanwhile, patrons enjoyed the wonderful performances and experienced the vibrancy and traditions of Chinese culture.
Co-chair member Lu Yang said, “It’s the biggest Chinese tradition, like once a year. Like how Westerners celebrate Christmas, you spend time with your family, rest, and eat good food. We like to take some time off, but here we don’t really have vacations, so that’s why we’re trying to organize such an event to get together.”
Students from Apache News (APN), Digital Communications Internship (DCI), Seniors of Merit (SMW), and Stagecraft attended the gala to support and cover the event, showcasing Arcadia’s strong sense of unity. Orchesis Dance Company (ODC) also attended, performing modern dance pieces Lost, Rhyme Dust, The View Between, and Incredible.
Sophomore Jocelyn Cheng from Orchesis hopes that “after each performance [she does], the audience can feel inspired, moved, and able to connect with the emotions and story [she shares].” She added that performing at the gala allowed her and her peers to show “all the hard work and passion [they have] put into the dances.”
Vivie Niu, who has been in the booster club for three years, emphasized that every donation and participation means a lot; it makes a difference for students as well as our community.
“We are open to all families. No matter if you are a parent, alumni, a local business, or a member of the community, you are welcome. Let’s make Arcadia High School an even better place for our kids.”
