Year-ender EVENTS for Yolanda Survivors

New York City -- Filipinos abroad are still at it...relentlessly doing what they can to extend help for the relief and rehabilitation of survivors of super typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan).

In Florida, the Space Coast Pinoys (SCP) held a charity ball on December 15 at the Tides Restaurant at the Patrick Air Force Base to be able to raise the much needed funds through social activities and sports. SCP is a Fil-Am sports organization in Brevard County.

The SCP has planned to undertake social events like caroling and charity ball, as well as sports activities as 5k runs, cycling, and golf tournaments as fund raisers.

[caption id="attachment_3171" align="alignleft" width="300"] SCP marathoners[/caption]

SCP president Jane Hernando-Catacutan turned over a check to Sanlahi, Inc. for disbursements of funds.  The group will donate to Habitat Humanity and local NGOs in the areas affected by the typhoon in the Philippines.

[caption id="attachment_3149" align="alignright" width="88"] The SCP, through its president Jane H. Catacutan, donates a check for the rehabilitation efforts of Sanlahi, Inc.[/caption]

During the charity ball, the Athlete of the Year was also awarded to four categories: Dwight Catacutan, - Youth Category (Male), Ariana Casingal (Female), Mark Quintos (Adult Male), and Gracielle Gan (Adult Female).

Guest speaker Jan Dy, Co-founder and editor for Asian Bodi Fitness magazine encouraged Fil-Ams to join and be active in the sports group.  Janice is also an officer for Philippines League of Bodybuilding and Fitness and elite athlete for Infinite Labs.

In New York City, an international parade of costumes was created in honor of peace and of the countries which helped the Philippines in the wake of recovering from the devastation of Yolanda.

At the Philippine Hearts and Hopes Society's grand Poinsettia Ball on December 5, women community leaders and professionals wore different national costumes to highlight the event at the Astoria World Manor in Queens. Proceeds of the event will also be sent to Yolanda survivors through PHHOSO's various charity projects early next year.

OSM! features some ladies whose costumes were a fashion statement.

Early December, the Fil-Am Press Club of New York issued a statement urging individuals and organizations to be cautious in sending well-meaning and hard-earned financial and logistical support to groups in the Philippines. We have to make sure that the support we are sending directly benefits the victims of the super typhoon. Receiving groups must be credible and with proven track record of delivery system, the press club press release said.

[caption id="attachment_3154" align="alignleft" width="300"] Christi Ras, Puerto Rico[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3153" align="alignleft" width="300"] Cecille Rementilla, US[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_3152" align="alignleft" width="119"] Marilou Bugarin, India[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3151" align="alignleft" width="300"] Adora Penn, Ghana.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3150" align="alignleft" width="167"] Medy Taeza, Philippines.[/caption]

PAFCOM Fundraiser for Philippine Projects

The Philippine-American Friendship Committee (PAFCOM) had a successful fundraiser event on June 1, 2013 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Newark Airport.

[caption id="attachment_2323" align="aligncenter" width="300"] L-R: Carol Llamas Kirby, Gracelyn F. Santos, May Raagas Tumulak Durano, Ruth Sityar Medina, Marian Reyes, Madeline Carpentiere, Gail Banawis and MiSook Mendonça.[/caption]

Grand Ball chairperson May Durano led in pulling off the affair as targetted, raising funds to finance projects in the Philippines and to create a more widely participated Philippine Independence Day Parade in New Jersey.





 

 

FALDEF's Night of Hope Fundraiser

FEATURED EVENT
By Jen Furer

NEW YORK CITY -- The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and US Pinoys 4 Good Governance (USP4GG) will present "A Night of Hope", a charity reception on behalf of the Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. (FALDEF) on Friday, March 1, 2013 at the residence of Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr.

The Filipino American Legal Defense and Education Fund (FALDEF) is a registered 501 (c)(3) not-for profit organization that provides pro-bono legal services to Immigrants in distress due to their origin, status and financial situation. FALDEF was founded in 2008 by a group of lawyers, professionals and community leaders working towards the same cause. After collectively working on a case involving Filipino Immigrants, suffering injustices, they decided to create an organization that was dedicated to serving the migrant community, in particular the Filipino Migrant Community.

Attorney Victor Bolden, Corporation Counsel of the City of New Haven, Connecticut is the evening's special guest speaker. An expert and advocate of civil rights, when Bolden chose to begin his post as New Haven's acting
corporation counsel on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

As Corporation Counsel, Bolden serves as the chief legal advisor of and the attorney for the City and all City officers and departments in matters relating to their official duties.

Bolden was formerly General Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund. He served on the Counsel with the law firm of Wiggin and Dana LLP in New Haven, Connecticut. He also served as a Karpatkin Fellow and Staff Attorney at the ACLU, from 1989-1994. Bolden completed his undergraduate studies, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Columbia University. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1989.

Mr. Bolden has been a supporter of the Filipino-American community, even prior to the actual incorporation of FALDEF. When the community needed help in defending 10 Filipino nursesto the actual incorporation of FALDEF. When the community needed help in defending 10 Filipino nurses who were wrongly sued, Bolden graciously offered the legal services of NAACP-LDF.

Attorney Sanford A. Rubenstein, senior partner at the Brooklyn law firm of Rubenstein & Rynecki, is one of the evening's guest speakers. He is one of New York's most sought after advocates for victim's rights in personal injury and civic rights matters. Described by the Melvin M. Belli Society of the American Trial Lawyers Association as one of the Nation's 25 top trial lawyers. Rubenstein's career has been punctuated by high profile cases in which he represented victims in many tragic occurrences in New York City.

Mr. Rubenstein appears frequently on national and local T.V. news advocating for victims rights. He has appeared as a legal analyst on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. Mr. Rubenstein has lectured and participated in panels for the New York Sate Trial Lawyers, The Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Institute, Brooklyn Law School and the Melvin M. Belli Society of the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Mr. Rubenstein is also an author of a new book entitled, "The Outrageous Rubenstein" , in which he writes about his experience as a media savvy trial lawyer fighting for justice and change.

[caption id="attachment_1786" align="alignleft" width="229"] Diane Paragas[/caption]

The evening also features the premiere of a short documentary film by Diane Paragas. Over the course of the last three months Ms. Paragas has been documenting candid interviews from FALDEF clients and Board Members. What started out as a public service announcement, has turned into a short documentary.

Ms. Diane Paragas is an award-winning documentary film director and commercial director. Her films have appeared on Showtime, BET, Discovery, MTV, Bravo and PBS. . In 2012, Paragas produced and directed the feature documentary, "Brooklyn Boheme", which premiered in February on SHOWTIME networks and features Spike Lee, Chris Rock, to name a few. "Brooklyn Boheme" recently won Outstanding TV Documentary at the Black Reel awards.

Ms. Paragas is also the founder and owner of NYC based Civilian Studios. Paragas is a supporter of FALDEF and has lent her talent by offering to do a short documentary about the organization. She is currently working on her first feature film Yellow Rose, a film loosely based on her life growing up as the only Filipina-American in her small Texas town. For details visit www.yellowrosefilm.com for details.

"A Night of Hope" charity reception begins at 6:30pm and ends at 9:00 p.m. A suggested donation of two hundred dollars, made out to "FALDEF", will be appreciated and accepted at the door, by mail or online. For details please email hope@faldef.org or visit the website at www.faldef.org.

FALDEF is also hosting a press club meet and greet event with Hon. Judge Lorna G. Schofield, the first Filipino-American in the history of the United States to serve as an Article III federal judge.

Jeff Stern: Over the Edge For Love, Against Cancer

By Marivir R. Montebon

It was to be Jeff Stern's thrill of a lifetime: to rappel 470 feet of building in Jersey City in memory of his wife Marlene Stern (NaFFAA CT State Chairperson and FilAm Global Community Advocate) who passed away after a 7 ½ month battle with pancreatic cancer (12/13/58 – 02/17/11) and brother-in-law Joe Perez who succumbed to lymphoma on June 1, 2012.

Both deaths had a significant impact on Jeff and left a void in his life as well as that of his two children, Kenneth, who currently plays rugby for the Philippine National Rugby Team (The Volcanoes), and Elizabeth, who is currently in college and former Philippine National Figure Skating Champion. The rappelling fund raiser seemed a meaningful cause and an outlet for the pain of their loss.

Family and friends cheered Jeff from start to finish, and obviously growing wilder when he was about to land and finally landed. Jeff, a businessman and resident of Connecticut, scaled down in about 14minutes, one of the fastest of the participants.

"Where you scared doing that? What were you thinking while you were up there?" I asked. "No. I wasn't scared. I only thought, get down, get down," he laughed. Rappelling is a game of will, just going over the edge, first and foremost, of course.  Secondary to it is one's physical ability to stabilize oneself with one hand, and to hold down descender using the other.

Jeff said his arms have hardened while rappelling. Extending his arms up, he smiled and grimaced at the same time, "I need a massage." "Would you do it again next year," I asked again. "Yes!" he said quickly, and his team of cheerers screamed once again. GO JEFF GO!!!

The OVER THE EDGE rappel for cancer was more than a stunt, of course.  There were about 120 more who braved the Harborside Financial Center Plaza 5 that sunny September 29 morning by the Hudson River, all in the memory or honor of their loved ones. It raised funds for the research work of the American Cancer Society as it continues to find breakthroughs against the cloak of death by cancer. Participants had to raise at least $1200 to be able to rappel that weekend. Jeff’s team raised over $22,000. Jersey City Mayor, Jerramiah Healy, event and congratulated the organizers for having raised a quarter of a million dollars that weekend.

As far as cancer is concerned, there is so much fighting and persistence needed. More research must be done to effectively curb the ascending mortality it brings worldwide.

Frankly, there is not a rosy picture as far as cure is concerned. Cancer remains the most treacherous of all diseases. For women, breast cancer remains the no. one killer, followed by uterine corpus, and colon and rectum.  For men, it is prostate, colon and rectum cancer, and melanoma.

There is an estimated 13.7 million Americans with a history of cancer, the American Cancer Society data showed. Breast cancer continues to be the site where survivorship is highest, at 41%, projected in the span of ten years, from 2012-2022. However, the colon and rectum cancers is projected to have slim survivorship at 8% for the same time period. Hence the need for intensive researches for cure and prevention.

The American Cancer Society has spearheaded fundraisers such as Over the Edge rappelling and Relay for Life marathons to respond to the multi-faceted issues imbedded in cancer prevention and cure as well as patient and caregiver care. More and more people have been inspired and joined the Over the Edge challenge.  Diedra, another participant and Jeff’s team captain could not have said it any better. ”I was beside myself in awe. I loved it and I want to do it again!"

With this high energy attitude, the race for cancer cure has definitely reached greater heights.