Washington D.C. (May 5, 2010) – The Organization of Chinese Americans, a national organization dedicated to advancing the political, social, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans, is proud to announce its 2009-2010 OCA Unsung Heroes. The national OCA Unsung Heroes Award is given to the many OCA volunteers whose time and efforts towards advancing OCA’s mission is not often publicly recognized.
“We are honored to present the Unsung Heroes Award to five exceptional OCA members this year,” said OCA National President Ken Lee, “the award is a tribute to their tireless efforts, inspiring attitude, and dedication to strengthen and build the APA community.”
The awardees will be recognized at a presentation ceremony during the OCA Gala Awards Dinner being held on Saturday, June 19, 2010, during OCA’s 37th annual National Convention in Houston, Texas. All OCA members, except OCA Chapter Presidents, Executive Council members and National Staff, are eligible for this award.
“OCA Unsung Heroes embody the qualities of selflessness and civic engagement,” said OCA Executive Director George Wu, “OCA and the APA community would not be where we are today without these amazing members who devote themselves to the betterment of their chapters and their community.”
The 2009-2010 Unsung Heroes Awardees include:
• William H.P. Kaung (OCA-Westchester & Hudson Valley) has been a member of OCA-WHV for over 17 years and is Vice President of Programs on the chapter board. He formerly served as President of OCA-WHV for three terms. His unfailing dedication and total commitment to the mission of OCA has resulted in the respect and admiration of all board members, who have thus nicknamed him “Mr. OCA.” Bill has worked tirelessly on all of OCA-WHV’s events and has played a critical role in finding a new office location for the chapter.
• Grace Lee (OCA-St. Louis) has been a member of OCA-STL for over 10 years and is currently serving on the board as Treasurer. Formerly, she served as Vice President of Finance beginning in 2006. She has consistently helped out in every chapter hosted event and goes above and beyond to make sure every event runs smoothly. Working behind the scenes, Grace has helped to run events like the OCA Annual Banquet and Lunar New Year Celebration as well as OCA’s Senior Citizen Luncheon.
• Helen Yu (OCA-New Jersey) has been a member of OCA-NJ for over 12 years and is a current board member. Helen has persistently networked with other groups and organizations to make them aware of OCA, as well as to increase a diverse attendance in OCA events. It is Helen’s efforts which has facilitated in bridging the gap between a number of educational and cultural programs in New Jersey.
• Janis Woo (OCA-Long Island) has been a member of OCA-LI for over 17 years and is currently serving on the board as VP of Communications. She has contributed tremendously to the community, especially though putting together OCA-LI’s newsletter, Sunrise, as well as helping to publish OCA-LI’s annual journal. Janis is a remarkable photographer who has captured significant events that the chapter has hosted and has made strong contributions to the success of OCA-LI.
• Yu Sing Yee (OCA-New York) has been a member of OCA-NY for over 12 years and is a current board member; in 2006 he served as Executive Vice President. His law enforcement background has brought a unique perspective to his position and he has played a key role in OCA’s involvement in hate crimes and police/community relations. Yu Sing’s dedication to his community has helped OCA produce such events like their Hate Crimes Prevention Art Project and Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival.
