Save the Date: September 26 A Culinary Journey - Asian ...

ASIAN COUNSELING and REFERRAL SERVICE
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Walk for Rice
Walk for Rice Raises more than $160,000
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On Saturday, June 20, hundreds of walkers and volunteers
gathered at Seward Park to enjoy the festivities at Asian
Counseling and Referral Service’s 19 th Annual Walk for Rice.
Attendees were treated to entertainment by the Seattle
Chinese Community Girls’ Drill Team and Seattle Kokon
Taiko Drummers, as well as stretching exercises led by event
emcee Christine Chen and the Omega Phi Omega fraternity.
The purpose of Walk for Rice, beyond being a fun
community celebration, is to provide financial support to
the ACRS Food Bank, now the second most-used food bank
in the county. This was an important year for the event, as
economic struggles have forced more and more families to
utilize services like food programs. Recognizing the need
for these services in our community, ACRS set an ambitious
Walk for Rice fundraising goal - $150,000 – more than the
event had ever raised.
ACRS supporters answered the call, bringing in an
incredible $162,000 (and counting) for the food bank.
“We are thrilled to see the outpouring of support for the
ACRS Food Bank,” said Diane Narasaki, ACRS Executive
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Director. “We set an immense goal and the community
responded.” Twenty individuals personally raised $1,000
or more, including Wayne Lau, this year’s top fundraiser
and a member of top fundraising team Washington First
International Bank (WFIB).
Although both Lau and WFIB have been participating in
Walk for Rice since 2001, most often using the event as an
opportunity for coworkers to get together and enjoy the
fresh air, he says this year was different. “In this period
where there is a very difficult economy impacting so many
people in our community, there was a bigger reason for
participation and a more serious, sobering motivation to do
more than just show up and walk.”
Lau said that even though the banking industry is facing
unprecedented pressures and stress, that he and his
colleagues were thankful for their steady jobs and pay – a
fact he frequently referenced when asking friends to donate
to Walk for Rice. “I took it upon myself to remind my
business associates that despite their financial problems
and stresses, they too are well fed, adequately housed and