A HUGE Thank You to all our sponsors, supporters and volunteers! This year’s A3M fundraiser could be easily called a success. Our dinner in the Sierra Room at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, was full to capacity. Although we were struggling in the beginning to acquire auction items, they started rolling in slowly and we had over 175 items including, electronic products to restaurant coupons to handmade jewelry and even a Vespa scooter. Selling the prize drawing tickets is always difficult, yet A3M’s dedicated volunteers stepped forward and we were able to raise a reasonable amount.

This year’s concert featured Society of Seven with Jasmine Trias. Slowly but surely people bought tickets and we were able to fill 3/4 of the theater. The show was spectacular with comedy sketches, celebrity impersonations, dance and renditions of music in an assortment of popular standards,  Top 40 and Broadway hits.

The doors to the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts opened at 4pm for our VIP guests. At 5pm Hawaiian dance group Hula Halau `O Lilinoe ame Na Pua me Kealoha entertained the sponsors and supporters and led them to the Sierra Room for dinner. Channel 9 news anchor Leyna Nguyen, was this year’s emcee. Joan Loof shared her story of survival 18 years after her transplant. This year’s Human Spirit awards were presented to Glenn Tanaka of OCO and Lambda Phi Epsilon for their support and invaluable contributions.

The highlight of the event was the first time meeting between Matthew Nguyen and his donor Diep Dao. Diep had registered to be a marrow donor in San Diego at her university in 2004. In the summer of 2009 Diep came up as a match for a patient (Matthew). She donated her marrow in September 2009. Diep said, when she signed up to be a marrow donor she was ready to donate if she were to be called to save a life and that is what she did. In spite of tremendous time constraints, Diep made sure that she completed all the requirements to donate her stem cells. One year later she met Matthew at A3M’s event for the first time.

It was a memorable meeting that brought tears to every single person in the audience. Matthew and his family could not thank Diep enough for her selfless donation to help save his life. Matthew’s mother was overcome with emotions and expressed gratitude to Diep in her own language. Vietnamese media captured her story and it was published in newspapers the very next day on the front page.

After the concert, the gracious SOS group and Jasmine Trias came out to the lobby area to sign autographs for their fans. People picked up their auction items and raffle prizes. A3M volunteers and staff and the outstanding theater staff helped to wrap up the evening on time.

We have many people to thank for helping out; we could not have done it without them!

Our special thanks go to:

Gene and Vickie Kanamori, Event Co-chairs

Nancy Sakakura and family

Gay Harada and family

Ron Imada