By Khalida Sarwari
A local women’s community service club is throwing a fashion show in March, and women, teens and high school students will be the beneficiaries.
The Chi Am Circle Club is hosting a benefit fashion show and luncheon at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose on March 21 with the goal of raising $200,000. That money will go toward scholarship grants to high school seniors in Santa Clara County and to helping victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
Specifically, funds from the event will support The Nest, a residential shelter for girls at the Freedom House, a Santa Clara County nonprofit that provides legal counseling and trauma recovery services to survivors of human trafficking, most of whom are between 12 and 17 years old.
“The whole purpose is to give them a hope for renewal of life,” said Saratoga City Councilwoman Emily Lo, a member of Chi Am and one of four people being recognized at the event. “Human trafficking is now a serious issue in Santa Clara County.”
Asian Women’s Home, which helps victims of domestic violence, is another beneficiary.
“We’re doing this in conjunction with the Asian Americans for Community Involvement,” said Lo. “We’ve been donating food and daily necessities for the shelter. This time around we want to single them out as a beneficiary of this event.”
A part of the proceeds from the event will go toward a scholarship fund for high school seniors. Chi Am has been awarding scholarships for about 35 years, according to Beverly Harada, a Saratoga resident who’s serving as the event’s publicity chair. Last year, the organization provided $67,000 in funding to 30 high school students.
“It’s just growing and growing, and we’re very proud of that,” Harada said.
A scholarship dinner for the selected students will be held in May.
“The students give a speech on what they plan to do, and it’s always a really heartwarming and sometimes tear-jerking event,” said Harada. “A lot of them are awarded on a need basis. Sometimes they’re the first ones in their families to attend college.”
The program will commence with a silent auction of items that have been donated to Chi Am, followed by a raffle and fashion show. Raffle tickets are $5 and the grand prize is $1,000 in cash. Other prizes include a vase from the Franz Collection, airline tickets, jewelry and an overnight stay at the Fairmont. The raffle is also open to people who aren’t able to attend but are interested in supporting the program.
The highlight of the event will be the fashion show with about 50 people of all ages modeling the clothes that will be supplied by Bloomingdale’s at Stanford, Stuart’s Apparel by Nellie K., Tsu.ya by Kristi Yamaguchi and Dottie Doolittle.
Thuy Vu, a KQED host, and Mike Inouye, an NBC Bay Area traffic anchor, will serve as emcees.
A segment of the event will also focus on recognizing people who have made an impact in their respective communities. The honorees include Anna Mok, the first Chinese-American woman to be admitted to partnership at accounting firm Deloitte; Lo and her husband Patrick Lo, the co-founder and current chairman and CEO of Netgear; and Lawrence Chu, owner of Chef Chu’s in Los Altos.
Six of the founders who started the club five decades ago will also be recognized.
The event marks the 50th anniversary of Chi Am Circle Club. The organization was founded in 1965 by 10 women who wanted to bring Asian-American women together to socialize and work on community projects, and it has evolved to more than 100 members, 20 percent of whom are from Saratoga. Members also hail from Los Gatos, San Jose, Cupertino and other nearby cities.
The organization puts on fashion shows about every five years to raise money for its scholarship program.
“This year is very special because it’s the 50th anniversary,” said Lo. “It’s on a much more elaborate scale. Our fundraising goal is higher than other fashion shows.”
Tickets range from $125 per seat up to $2,000 for a table of 10. A portion of the ticket cost is tax-deductible.
Registration for the event begins at 10:30 a.m. and is followed by a luncheon at 11:45 a.m.
For more information about Chi Am or to purchase tickets, visit chiamcircle.org or emailchiamreservations@gmail.com.
Link: Chi Am Circle Club fashion show serves as benefit women, teens
