Second Quarter Update

Over the last few months, the Very Asian Foundation has had remarkable opportunities to support and uplift AA and NHPI communities across the country.

Swinging Into Fall! View in Browser Recap of July and August We proudly celebrated the AAJA convention, marked the centennial of Valhalla Cemetery, and participated in the Red Lantern City Night Market. We were honored to celebrate Nikes Community Impact Fund and look forward to continuing our partnership with Emerson Electric Co. for the May Book Project. AAJA 2024 Convention This year, the Asian American Journalists Association hosted their 2024 Convention in Austin, TX. VAF Co-Founders Michelle Li and Gia Vang, Executive Director Soogi Hong, Board Member Chris Nguyen, and Student Ambassadors Landon Hong and Cassie Sun all represented the organization throughout the week. We were thrilled to host a VAF-sponsored headshot booth for the second year in a row! Recognizing the power of a great first impression, we provided free, updated headshots to support the journalist community. Special thanks to Patrick Tighe of Patrick Leo Studios for his amazing work! VAF partnered with United Talent Agency (UTA) and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) to host Celebrating AAJA: An Iconic Gathering of AAPI Journalists. This event honored the groundbreaking achievements of Linda Yu, Lori Matsukawa, and David Louie, who have paved the way for future generations of AAPI journalists. Special thanks to the Thompson Hotel for having us at their beautiful Arriba Abajo rooftop. Other New and Exciting VAF Events Destination Korea Camp In July, Co-Founder Michelle Li traveled to Dallas to support Destination Korea Camp, a program close to her heart. She has known the camp's founders since she was just four years old and has a long history of working alongside them as a camp counselor during their time with Dillon International. The program provides the opportunity for adoptees, adoptive families and adult adoptee families to explore their Korean-American heritage. Attendees immerse themselves in Korean music and arts, cooking, culture, games, and more. To learn more about Destination Korea Camp, visit destinationkoreacamp.com. Red Lantern In July, the Very Asian Foundation collaborated with Taberu and Saigon Cafe to bring the Red Lantern City Night Market to the Central West End in St. Louis. Heidi Hamamura, sushi chef and owner of Taberu, first came up with the idea for the night market to support struggling Japanese American businesses and non-profits during COVID. This year marked the fourth anniversary of the night market, and it has now expanded to include over 40 small businesses of varying cultural backgrounds. Our VAF Creative Director, Claire Nipper, designed the official night market tote bag to help raise funds to keep the night market a free event for attending guests in the future. Nike Community Impact Fund The Very Asian Foundation was honored to be a 2023 recipient of Nike's Community Impact Fund grant. The Nike Community Impact Fund (NCIF) was established to support local community organizations where their employees live, work, and play. We were proud to support this year’s winners and find ways to build community and leverage the power of sport. It was an exciting evening of networking, award presentations, and more. Valhalla Centennial Celebration VAF proudly partnered with the Asian American Civic Scholars (AACS) to celebrate 100 years since acquiring a plot at Valhalla Cemetery, St. Louis's only burial ground for Chinese immigrants in the early 1900s. AACS students and local leaders, including Councilwoman Rita Days, Min Liu, Don Ko, Peter Tao, and Chris Gordon highlighted the cemetery's significance. We were honored to co-host the Valhalla Centennial Celebration, bringing the community together over shared history and refreshments. Emerson May Book Project Sponsorship Over the last year, we have partnered with Emerson Electric Co. on incredible May Book Project events. We are thrilled to announce that this partnership will continue into our next season of book drops, donations, school events and more. Reclaiming Chinatown in St. Louis VAF proudly contributed to the renaming of 8th Street to On Leong Way in downtown St. Louis, celebrating a century of Chinatown's rich history. As we await the arrival of culturally significant signage, we're working on funding a potential historical marker. You can support this cause by purchasing our exclusive shirts—available online now and soon at the Missouri History Museum. Sunday Funday Benefit Luncheon Come join us as we celebrate our #VeryAsian community, recognize our 2024 Creators Grant recipients, and honor Jonathan Ng Sposato, founder of Joy Sauce! Ticket sales for this year’s Sunday Funday Benefit Luncheon will open on Friday, August 23. The exciting afternoon will feature a delicious lunch, amazing raffle prizes, special presentations from our 2024 Creators Grant recipients, a fireside chat with Jonathan Sposato and more! - Early-Bird General Admission Tickets: $75 (until September 6th) - Full-Priced General Admission Tickets: $100 (includes all the experiences above) - VIP Tickets: $150 (includes all the experiences above plus swag donated by over a dozen AAPI-owned businesses) All proceeds go to the Very Asian Foundation. Interested in sponsoring this event? Download our sponsorship package to learn more. All sponsors will be featured on our social media, website, and event programming. For questions about sponsorship opportunities and/or about this event, please contact Michelle Rigell mrigell@veryasianfoundation.org. Visit our website to learn more! As always, thank you for being a part of our journey as we continue to champion the voices and stories of AA and NHPI communities. We look forward what the upcoming months have to offer and cannot wait to share more with you! Copyright (C) 2024 Very Asian Foundation. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Very Asian Foundation11939 Manchester Rd.Suite 303Saint Louis, MO 63131-4502USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

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