Written by: Lindsay Li, FCSN Youth Reporter
Graphics by: Christy Ma, FCSN Graphic Artist

From 4:30-8:30 p.m. on November 3, FCSN hosted the annual FCSN Gala at the Grand Dynasty Chinese Seafood Restaurant. Events included speeches from organizers and board members, musical performances, and finally a raffle with grand prizes including an iPhone, gift cards, and round trip tickets to Taiwan. Themed “Expand Our Dream,” this year’s gala focused on fundraising to create new programs at the newly constructed Osgood Center and to expand  current services for the community. Co-chair and board member Jason Hwan applauded last year’s achievements and emphasized this year’s goal  to fully integrate the Osgood Center. “This year is special because last year’s focus was to make the third center happen and it did … We will continue what we have established, putting focus on recruiting more staff, and developing new programs to accommodate and serve more clients,” Hwan said.

Dinner started at 5:00 PM and included sumptuous dishes such as sautéed steak in red wine sauce and honey walnut prawns. At 6:00 PM, emcee Matt Keller introduced event co-chairs and board members Jason Hwan and Jacqueline Yu to the stage. The pair spoke about their visions for the gala and the night’s fundraising goal of $300,000—a goal was close to being achieved thanks to the efforts of major donors and organizations as well as bids and donations from attendees themselves. The next stage of the Osgood Center’s development hinged crucially on the funding to cover construction costs as well as resources required to develop new programs and services.

Followed by a musical performance by Chi-Ling Wu and Alice Jen, co-chairs Jim Chiao and Yee-Yeen Wang shared their thoughts about the significance of the gala and presented the board’s role in the event. Throughout the night, Jerry Wang, Limin Hu, and Anna Wang led three rounds of fundraising, which successfully met the fundraising target. Aside from these fundraising activities, dance performance by the Kung Fu Pandas and messages from major donor Bob Li and Mayor of Fremont Lily Mei bolstered the evening and contributed to the guests’ enjoyment.

The highlight of the evening was the raffle. Keller presented prizes generously donated by members of the community, many of them by board members. Prizes ranged from a $150 Visa gift card, $500 red envelopes, AirPods, a FitBit Versa 4, and coveted round trip tickets to Taiwan, sponsored by three airlines. This portion of the gala was filled with laughs, anticipation, and general positivity for the community. The evening concluded with the Dream Achievers’ performances of “Happy,” “YMCA,” and “Best Day of My Life.”

A longtime tradition, the gala holds considerable significance to organizers and attendees alike, particularly to board members whose efforts are crucial to guarantee the success of the gala and FCSN’s year-round efforts. From FCSN’s humble founding in 1996 to the first gala in 2003, then held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, the gala has expanded greatly and provided support and joy to countless families and special needs individuals, making it an event to celebrate and appreciate. Co-president C.K. Lee, parent of a special needs daughter, remarked on the importance of FCSN to the special needs community and his hope of a lasting impact. “I want to show attendees that FCSN really tries to help all the special needs people and is dedicated to our work,” Lee said. “Even though we are volunteers, we still contribute our effort to make FCSN better and also sustainable. Even [after our generation], we still can have FCSN to take care of all the special needs people.”

The impact and passion that the organizers presented in their speeches and efforts during the fundraisers were palpable. First-time attendee James Cowan lauded the team and the organization for the flow of the event and fundraising. “I hope that [FCSN is] able to reach their fundraising goals and support it, which supports the mission of the foundation,” Cowan said. “There are a lot of folks here in the Bay Area that need support of institutions like this, so it is super important to see it continue.”

Of course, the gala did not come without challenges. Anna Wang, a board member and one of the founders, spoke to the need to emotionally motivate the community. “[The main challenge was] drumming up enthusiasm within the community for more people to know that we are doing good things for the special needs community and speak to them to their hearts,” Wang said. “We sent out emails to some of our friends and supporters and invited them to come to the gala . We said, ‘please be the wind beneath our wings so that our children can find their wings.’”

Overall, the gala was a great success, emphasizing FCSN’s bright future and its aspiration for the years ahead. “I hope people can remember our mission tonight, ‘Expand Our Dream,’” Hwan said. “We had a successful establishment for the Osgood Center, but now we need to fill in the real content, not only to serve more people but also to make sure that the program we design really fits what the special needs individuals need.”