Chris S. Nishiwaki
Northwest Asia Weekly
June 4, 2022 Denise Louie 2022 Gala (Photo courtesy of Denise Louie Education Center)
After more than two years of darkness, and after theaters closed, the Dennis Louie Education Center hosted its first live event since October 2019 on June 4—nearly 1,000 days apart. At a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic, Denise Louie Gala, dubbed “The Future is Bright,” achieves more than $200,000 in fundraising goal, with more than 100 guests attending festivities at Magnuson Park .
Jennie Cochran-Chinn and Denise Moriguchi co-hosted the evening. Alma Feldpausch, Denise Louie’s former parent, board member, action committee member and evening co-chair, was recognized with the Personal Dream Award. Sala Sataraka and the University of Washington’s JumpStart program was recognized with the Community Dream Award. JumpStart has partnered with Denise Louie since 2003, serving more than 14,000 students during that time.
“These events, prior to a pandemic, typically take a lot of time to plan and execute. This year, due to additional protocols and as a result of the pandemic, there has been a labor shortage and chaos behind the scenes,” said Nikki L. Huang, Director of Development and Marketing at Denise Louie .
Dessert at the Denise Louie 2022 Gala (Photo courtesy of Denise Louie Education Center)
“There is a lot going on every year, from volunteers, catering, guests, programming, sponsorships, communications to all the behind-the-scenes work. Mixing components is challenging, and this year, we have implemented safety protocols and all guests and volunteers must report to us Submit negative covid test results and vaccination cards. These extra steps require a lot of oversight, and we are understaffed.”
Denise Louie has kept its operations afloat during the pandemic by reducing expenses and raising funds for businesses and foundations, Huang said. She said the group has tripled the number of applications submitted to institutional funders, most of which are driven by volunteer board members.
Corporate donations to the gala alone increased by 30%, including a selection of Pokemon gifts donated by Tabletop Village ($1,000 value) for $3,500 — making it the highest-selling item at the live auction.
Like many employers across the country, Denise Louie has had to deal with staff shortages. Relying on the flexibility of volunteers and staff, they continue to thrive, providing early learning services to nearly 500 children. Two-thirds of serviced households speak a foreign language.
For example, executive director Susan Yang transitioned to property manager a week before the annual big fundraiser at Mercy Magnuson Place, which opened in September 2019. Denise Louie will begin serving on Yesler Terrace in 2023.
“Because of the pandemic, we’ve all had to wear a lot of hats, jobs have increased but capacity has decreased, so the need for community volunteers is critical,” Huang said.
Chris can be reached by info@nwasianweekly.com.
