Hopes & Dreams    All for the Love of Kids 2007

(Los Angeles County Asian American Employees Association (LACAAEA) Cares About Our Kids and Their Bright Future) Members of LACAAEA Attended 12th Annual All for the Love of Kids on AUGUST 9, 2007 Message from Honorable Michael D. Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Fifth District  Message from Patricia S. Ploehn, Director, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Welcome by Master of Ceremonies, NBC4 Morning News Co-Anchor Jennifer Bjorklund

Members of Los Angeles County Asian American Employees Association (LACAAEA) attended 12th ANNUAL ALL FOR THE LOVE OF KIDS on AUGUST 9, 2007 at the New Edwards Renaissance 14 Theatre, 1 East Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801 From left to right: Mason Fong, Jeremy Li, Phillip Ow, Irene Hamada, Michael D. Antonovich, Anna Shen, Gaylord Imura, Akiko Tagawa, Steve Kawamura, and Tevy Sithan.

AAEA represented at the 12th Annual All for the Love of Kids- “Hopes & Dreams” fundraiser and awards dinner on Thursday, August 9, 2007, at the Edwards Renaissance Theaters in Alhambra. The event was hosted by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich and was an evening filled with food, ice cream, music, silent auctions, and a good cause. Proceeds from the event are going to the DCFS Family and Children’s Services Trust Fund to provide financial resources like orthodontia, educational trips, special medical needs, team sports, and music lessons.  The highlight of the evening was to hear a speech from Maggie Lin. She was born in Taiwan to teenage parents and her father was murdered at the ripe old age of 18. After being horribly abused by her 16-year old mother’s new boyfriend, her grandmother brought Maggie and her sister to the US for a better life. Unfortunately, this new life involved more abuse by their uncle. DCFS stepped in when her sister was hospitalized from the brutal abuse she received. Since then, Maggie lived in six different foster homes. She said that her last home was the most special to her because she was not told she couldn’t succeed, but that she was already a success. She was able to enroll in a good school and attend AP classes from there. She became Student of the Year in her junior year and Student Body President in her senior year. Six of the nine universities that accepted her offered full scholarships. She decided on Dartmouth and is scheduled to go in the fall. When one hears such an awesome story, especially when the statistics for high school completion amongst DCFS children are hovering around 30%, one cannot feel but respect and accolade for Maggie and her achievements. So, off to the silent auction table I went… I bid for the San Diego trip package, but was outbid by someone else. Steve Kawamura won the Boston Legal/David E. Kelley Productions basket. Go, Steve! I am planning to send my tax deductible donation to DCFS Trust Fund at DCFS, 425 Shatto Place Rm. 304, LA, CA 90020 (Attn: Fiscal Monitoring Section.) Other AAEA members in attendance were Jeremy Li, Irene Hamada, Mason Fong, Phillip Ow, Anna Shen, Gaylord Imura, Tevy Sithan, and Jackie Guevarra.