Report of the Chairman and President

Three years have passed since the official opening of the Centre. We have been working hard to search for a way to augment the visibility of CCC. After three years, we may have finally found a cornerstone for our future direction. A recent series of events focused on our youth has captivated the attention of the community. The “Millennium Youth Conference,” “Outstanding Youth Achievement Awards” and “Searching for Your Roots” programs have generated tremendous interest among both Chinese Canadian youths and the community at large. “Searching for Your Roots” has been particularly successful in part due to the documentary-style coverage provided by Fairchild TV. In 2001, therefore, the CCC has enjoyed renewed respect and a significant amount of positive publicity. We hope these youth oriented programs will continue to be one of the mainstays of our future curriculum.

The TV coverage of this year's fundraising gala, the Imperial Ball, further enhanced CCC's profile within the community. Many directors, notably Ms. Irene So, Mr. John Man and Mr. Alan Lam contributed magnificent efforts and demonstrated superb talents and abilities in organizing the Gala. Mr. Peter Yeung, our treasurer, was once again a critical component of our success by effectively managing CCC's finances. Mrs. Lena Wong devoted endless hours to administering our regular and special programs.

The hiring of an Executive Director has proven to be a wise and rewarding move. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Stephen Siu for his invaluable efforts throughout the last year.

I would also like to say farewell to some of our retiring directors who have served us with great loyalty. I am sure they will continue to support CCC as both general members and as our special friends. I would like to thank all of our continuing directors and staff, each of whom has played a central role in this last year's success.

Looking into the future, I see unlimited potential for CCC to serve the community. Not only can we be the heart and soul of the community, but we can also take the initiative to become an institution with the ability to bridge the gap of cultural differences and to orchestrate the meeting of the East and the West throughout the year.

Of course, we have not forgotten about Phase II. Fundraising will continue to be the biggest challenge. However, armed with the experience we gained from Phase I, we are confident that the commitment and support of the community will help us bring this goal to fruition. Let us work together again to build the most comprehensive Chinese Cultural Centre in North America.