To promote the coming fundraising gala in early November. On Friday Oct. 22, at noon, FCSN gala team held a press conference for the media at the new Osgood site in Fremont. Co-chairmen Yee Yeen Wang and James Chiao set the agenda and Yee- Yeen presided over the meeting. The meeting was also attended by FCSN’s other gala committee members: Jason Hwan, Peter Chan, CK Lee, Anna Wang, Sylvia Yeh, Lilian Lin, Albert Wang, and Limin Hu. Before the meeting started, the reporters got a guided tour around the new facility.

This year is special since it marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of FCSN. The 25th anniversary, together with reopening and Osgood purchase, are the main themes of our 2021 gala. To thank the wonderful people in the community for their long- term support, FCSN is more determined than ever to better serve special needs people by increasing both the breadth and depth of our programs in the coming years.

FCSN President CK Lee introduced that the center is the third activity center of FCSN. The 17,000 sf building at the new center is larger than the sum of the two existing activity centers. After completion, FCSN will be able to provide assistance to more families, as we currently have more than 200 families with special needs on the waiting list. At the same time, the new center will also provide larger venues for programs run by our staff and volunteers.

FCSN purchased the new Fremont site around the middle of the year, and it is estimated that it will take two years to renovate it to meet the needs of the programs. The renovation cost will be between 1.5 million and 2 million dollars; therefore, this year’s fundraising goal is set at $350,000 which is somewhat higher than previous years. Sylvia Yeh, Limin Hu, Anna Wang, and Albert Wang all called on more caring people to support the development of FCSN for the future.

For the gala itself, event co-chairs Jason Hwan and Peter Chan talked about the preparation for the virtual gala, the sponsorship, and the matching fund provided by the board. Emcee for the event will be Matt Keller, and our guest of honor will be Fremont mayor Lily Mei. For more details, everyone is invited to visit the gala page on FCSN website at https://fcsn1996.