By Canadian Immigrant | Link to Article
By Canadian Immigrant | Link to Article
Under bright sunny skies, SUCCESS Foundation’s annual fundraising event, Walk with the Dragon, celebrated its 30th year at Lumbermen’s Arch, Stanley Park, on Sunday, July 19, with more than 10,000 participants and raised another $400,180 for the continuance and enhancement of important social services at SUCCESS for the Metro Vancouver communities.
“The longevity and success of Walk with the Dragon rely on the community’s continued encouragement and support. Since the event’s inauguration in 1986, over $12 million have been raised to provide appropriate services and programs to support the betterment of the community. This includes the vulnerable population of seniors and youth,” says Sing Lim Yeo, chair of SUCCESS Foundation. “The amount of money that we raised involves the copious efforts and resources of many sponsors and volunteers. Our immense gratitude and appreciation to them.”
Walk with the Dragon each year garners the staunch support of elected officials from the three levels of government and prominent community leaders. Leading the pack this year Christy Clark, Premier of British Columbia, and representing the Prime Minister of Canada, Jason Kenney, Minister of National Defense and Minister for Multiculturalism.
The event began by waking up the 100-foot long robust SUCCESS dragon from its year-long hibernation in a symbolic Dragon Eye-Dotting Ceremony. Once the Dragon was awakened, it led an entourage of participants, including more than 300 teams, on the seven-kilometre sojourn around the Stanley Park seawall. Music and songs then envelope Lumbermen’s Arch to a fever pitch with giveaways and prizes at the carnival style game booths perfect for the whole family.
“The past 30 years of Walk with the Dragon have seen numerous changes and evolutions. From a gathering of a couple of hundred participants to today’s attendance of 12,000, the most significant change is the faces of our supporters. What began as an event predominantly attended by Chinese-Canadians, the Walk attendance now mirrors the diverse cultures of the clients that SUCCESS serves. This year’s Walk celebrates and embraces multiculturalism. Even our stage performances reflect the best in different cultures, including Latin, Philippine, Japanese and Korean,” says Bill Lau and Johnny Tsang, co-chairs of the 2015 event.