In the past three years of the epidemic, many people have distanced themselves. As the Chinese New Year approaches, the Association of Chinese American Physicians (ACAP) organized a Lunar New Year celebration for its members and their families. The event aimed to promote mutual communication, celebrate together, and bring people closer in these challenging times. The evening was filled with splendid performances.
Hosted by four family physicians from Flushing, New York, namely Zhang Qing, Zhu Ziqiang, Liu Wei, and Wang Yulin, the hosts, although amateur compared to our professional roles as doctors, ensured the evening was reliable. After a busy Saturday clinic, everyone hurried to the hotel. In the half-hour before the start, the hosts were still nervously reviewing their scripts.
The event kicked off with an enthusiastic New Year’s address from the current president, Dr. Jin Li. Dr. Li reviewed ACAP’s history, outlined its current status, and looked forward to the organization’s future. Following this, New Year’s blessings from past presidents in ACAP’s 29-year history, as well as current board members, were shared. Their wishes prompted reflections on the passage of time, the unwavering commitment to initial goals, and blessings for ACAP as it approaches the prosperous Year of the Dragon.
A five-minute slideshow densely showcased dozens of events organized by ACAP in the past year, including traditional activities like health fairs, mock interviews, career development conferences, practice management meetings, science fairs, annual conventions/galas, CHEP (Community Health Education Partnership), and resident reunions. Outstanding achievements were noted in community education, professional development, and doctor-to-doctor exchanges. Notably, ACAP’s doctors, temporarily setting aside their busy schedules, enjoyed CME trips with family and friends. Last year, these trips included journeys to Rome and Barcelona during the summer and a Bahamas cruise over the Christmas period, allowing everyone to slow down, enjoy, and connect.
Our second-generation physicians brought exciting performances, with Hayton Chan’s violin performance and Robert Chen’s stand-up comedy creating the first highlight of the evening. Attendees praised the younger generation for growing up in the ACAP environment, predicting their success.
A mesmerizing Sichuan Opera face-changing performance, unexpected and captivating, accompanied by powerful melodies, allowed everyone in a foreign land to experience traditional Chinese art, reminding us that we are doctors, but more importantly, we are Chinese. So, we gathered today to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Magic performances viewed up close had children secretly pondering their mysteries, managing to guess a thing or two but enjoying the magic of life. After all, isn’t life a kind of magic?
The three rounds of the lucky draw featured a rich array of prizes, including Amazon Gift Cards, Apple Watches, AirPods, HomePod minis, iPads sponsored by New York Life and Compu21 Institute, Dyson Air Purifiers sponsored by Queens Surgical Center, and Microsoft Surface Pro 9 computers sponsored by JK.com. These prizes were drawn by fortunate ACAP members and their family members. Your participation and good fortune contribute to the overall luck and success of ACAP.
In conclusion, Vice President Dr. Zhu Ziqiang provided a summary. In a few words, he expressed that only with everyone’s support and participation can ACAP, as a non-profit organization, go further! In the coming year, ACAP will face new challenges but also anticipates creating new glories. Thanks to all the former leaders of ACAP for creating a platform and their contributions. Thanks to the current board members of ACAP for carefully planning this reunion night after the epidemic. Thanks to our volunteers, sponsors, and all ACAP members, their families, and friends for the applause and laughter during the Chinese New Year event, making us look forward to coming together again next year.
Thank you for supports we received from iBridge Foundation, Piermont Bank, JK.com, Queens Surgical Center, Health First, Lenco Lab, CenterLight, Main Street Radiology, Affinity by Molina, Arcadia pharmacy, New York Life, Compu21 Institute, Empire City Lab, Royal Care, Ken Sun, United Health Care Michael Gao, Baoli Zhang, and True Care.
