The Dragon's Head Blog: Colorado Celebrates the Gifts of Chinese New Year

Master Moy established a lasting legacy in our hearts. He taught us to help one another, work tirelessly and to host one another. When asked to plan fundraisers, intensives and dinners we simply respond, “of course we will do that!”

Little by little we have learned so much. We still have much more to learn, but without Master Moy’s guidance, we would not have learned to do one now perfectly ordinary thing: host 100 people for a welcoming, happy celebration to ring in Chinese New Year.

But, it’s not so ordinary really. We realize that when we see something mirrored in the eyes of our honored guests and first-time attendees when they come to a banquet—amazement. “This Chinese New Year’s banquet is staffed entirely by your members who are volunteers?”

Yes. Volunteers shopped for supplies, crafted hand-made chocolates, greeted new arrivals and took banquet tickets at the door, decorated our practice hall, cooked and served the entire dinner, washed the dishes and much more. New guests are even more surprised when they learn our whole organization is run by volunteers.

Members of our local branch have become a close-knit family accomplishing all of the tasks for this celebration and many events over the years. Maybe these perfectly ordinary things we do so routinely are really extraordinary gifts we give to one another.

“You can feel the community here,” said one honored guest on Saturday, February 25 at Colorado’s Chinese New Year banquet. Hosting others in our city reminds us just how lucky we are to be part of this community.

This year the Colorado branch was graced by the attendance of State Senator Irene Aguilar, MD; Robin Gisbert, PT, DPT, delegate of the Colorado Ballet Education and Community Engagement and the Posner Center for International Development; Sheldon Reynolds, the principal of Greenlee Elementary; Kristen Collins, Greenlee Community Liaison and Aubrey Livizzo, DVM, Co-chair of the Upper Santa Fe Neighbors’ Organization.

Branch Co-president Glenn Vanecek emceed the evening several of our honored guests delivered heartfelt speeches and members showcased the Taoist Tai Chi® set. Member Mark MacDonnell shared how tai chi helped him recover from a devastating motorcycle accident. Vocalist Evan Glaser provided the entertainment including an enjoyable rendition of a rooster song with a cute stuffed fowl. The evening culminated with guests being served three kinds of chocolate rooster-topped cupcakes and our branch council toasting each table to ring in an amazing Year of the Fire Rooster.

“I had a wonderful time with your welcoming group. I will be back,” said Gisbert.

That’s how it all begins…