The CYC Experience

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If you're in the DC metro area, you might want to check out a documenatary film by Penny Lee, "The CYC Experience" that premieres this Friday at the University of Maryland in College Park.

It documents the Washington, DC's Chinese Youth Club, established in 1939. Some of my older cousins were members growing up because it allowed them to participate in athletics and other cultural events. It'sa good time to get families together for their picnics and banquets and be part of the community. Their mission:

"...promotes, organizes and supports athletic, cultural and educational opportunities for Asian American youth and their families. Our goal is to promote leadership and academic excellence among Asian American youth. Enrichment also extends to the families of the Asian American youth as family members are active and involved in these opportunities."

A film synopsis:

The names may be different, but the stories are familiar: A new beginning in a new land. The CYC Experience, a documentary film, chronicles our Chinese version of this uniquely American tale through the story of the Chinese Youth Club. Created in 1939 by first generation Chinese immigrants looking for a place to belong, CYC remains central to the lives of today's generation of ABCs (American Born Chinese). Through the stories of CYC members, this film spotlights the importance of family, sports, and culture in the Chinese community, with Washington, DC's Chinatown as the backdrop.

The premiere is part fund raiser for the CYC and also a benefit for the Melanie Lee Easley Memorial Scholarship Fund:

Melanie Evelyn (Lee) Easley (Economics, ’01) led a life marked with leadership and community involvement from a young age, as a girl scout, a musician, a cheerleading captain, and the International Baccalaureate Program at Richard Montgomery High School, and later, in Chinese Youth Club, College Park Scholars, and as vice president of Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity at University of Maryland. Her drive, charisma, and ethics won the respect and admiration of an extended network of family, friends and colleagues, all of whom she treasured in return.Melanie was on the managerial fast track at GE Healthcare Financial and nearing completion of her MBA at the University of Maryland, when she and Ryan H. Easley (Business & Management, ’01, University of Maryland School of Law, Honors, ‘04), newlyweds, died in a College Park car accident on Dec. 13, 2004, less than one mile from where they lived and learned. Her life, marked by accomplishment and promise, was cut short at age 25, in the year she characterized as the “best of [her] life.”

Event: Official Launch and screening of Penny Lee's documentary film,
The CYC Experience
Location: University of Maryland, College Park, Riggs Alumni Center
(complimentary parking in the adjacent 1/Z lot)
Schedule of Events:
6:30 - 8:00pm Cocktails/hors D'oeuvres Reception
8:00pm Screening of film, Dessert Bar after screening
To Benefit: University of Maryland's Melanie Lee-Easley Memorial Fund & CYC
Attire: Black Tie Optional
Cost: $25 (minimum per person) suggested donation to attend (100% tax deductable)
VIP Level $200 (includes one guest and a DVD gift package)
RSVP online: www.alumni.umd.edu/cyc
RSVP by phone or email: Laura Besong 301-405-0385 or lbesong@umd.edu

So if you're around the DC metro area this Friday, come on out to the University of Maryland and help raise a little money. I plan to attend and meet up with some cousins. I'll try and take some photos.

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