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ON SCENE: Asian Chamber celebrates gala and board member receives award from City of Denver
Asian Chamber hosts annual gala event
By Mary Jeneverre Schultz
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Asian Chamber of Commerce staff and Board of Directors celebrate their gala at Ameristar Hotel Spa Resort in Blackhawk.
For more information, visit acccolorado.org.
More than 260 attendees attended the Asian Chamber of Commerce’s (ACC) annual gala at Ameristar Hotel Spa Resort in Blackhawk, a short 1.5-hour drive from downtown Denver.
The gala served as an appreciation for the chamber’s members on October 9.
“It’s an affirmation of the partnerships that benefit the AAPI small business and workforce community,” said Fran Campbell, president of ACC.
Proceeds from the silent auction benefited the Asian Chamber Foundation of Colorado Development Program. This six-week program provides community members a safe and fun learning space to garner skills that will be useful in their careers, personal development, preparing for leadership programs and servicing on boards. Attendees of this program will receive education in financial literacy, networking career development, and local government.
Campbell revealed the 5-year strategy goals for ACC. “Equitable outreach of small business opportunities can’t be fully successful if we have an inadequate data base,” she said. “The ACC is also pursuing the means to increase our capacity so that we are able to provide more technical services and 1-to1 mentoring to AAPI small business and workforce.”
Other activities will include D&I presentations, outreach to Southern Colorado AAPI small businesses, and the monthly “Business After Hours” networking events.
Mary Monzon Receives City of Denver’s Diversity & Inclusion Award
On October 18, Mary Alvi Monzon received the Mayor’s Diversity and Inclusion Award posthumously from Denver Mayor Hancock.
Nominated by the Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission, Monzon eagerly volunteered and supported many AAPI events and programs especially for the Filipino community, before passing away on July 24, 2022.
Monzon was born on March 17, 1963 and raised in the Bay Area (Benicia/San Francisco). In the early 1990’s she moved to Denver and began her career at AT&T. She quickly began her volunteerism by co-coordinating the “Mercado on Mariposa” project in her Baker neighborhood.
In 2006, Monzon became a volunteer at the Denver Center for International Studies at Baker. She became one of the first volunteers for the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in 2001.
Monzon was also an active member of the Asian Chamber of Commerce for over 25 years. She recruited new corporate and small businesses to join and she shared her business acumen with individuals searching for new or a change of careers. Monzon served on the ACC Board of Directors since 2012.
In 2015, Mary was included as one of Denver’s AAPi Women Leaders at a dinner hosted by Mayor and Mrs. Hancock at the Cableland residence.
Receiving the award on her behalf was long-time friend, Fran Campbell. The award was shipped to her mother in Benicia, Calif.
Mary Monzon
From left: Derek Okubo (City of Denver), Mayor Hancock, Fran Campbell (recipient), Shauna Medeiros-Tuilaepa (DAAPIC chair).
Three hundred medals were awarded to more than 200 breweries last month—and Comrade Brewing Co. was one of the top winners at the 2022 Great American Beer Festival (GABF).
Comrade Brewing received the gold medal for its brew, More Dodge Less RAM in the American Style India Pale Ale. This category received 423 entries making it one of the most entered styles of beer.
“This is our 7th medal and the 3rd beer that won two medals in the same category,” said owner David Lin of Denver-based Comrade Brewing Co.
“We’re doing our own thing here at Comrade and humbled that the beer judges think so, too. It shows that we make great beer, but also consistently.”
The week leading up to the GABF highlighted celebratory parties all over downtown Denver. Lin indicated he attended the PorchDrinking 10th Anniversary Beer Festival and the Falling Rock Popup. “It was good to see familiar faces and some great beers,” Lin said.
Post COVID
Tickets did not sell out this year compared to pre-pandemic times. In addition, festival organizers spaced out the tasting booths and it was noticeable. However, 2022 marked the 40th anniversary of GABF.
“It’s clear that we’re still not back to the way things were pre-pandemic,” said Lin.
Advice to new brewers
Lin offered a simple, easy suggestion to new and upcoming brewers, who want to follow him into gold medal position.
“Go out and visit breweries to try their brews on draft,” he said. “It beats drinking packaged product at home.”
For a taste of the award-winning beer, visit Comrade Brewing in Denver and check out their website to see their open hours: comradebrewing.com.
Next year, GABF is scheduled for Sept. 21 to 23, 2023.
Kyle, one of the hundreds of volunteers at GABF, pours beer. These women won best costume with rolled-up beer as hair curlers.
By: Shin X. Huynh
Learn more at ndkdenver.org
Nan Desu Kan returns with a flash and bang for its 25th anniversary! The anime convention was held once again at the spacious Gaylord Rockies Resort. To celebrate their silver anniversary and big milestone, NDK went with a fabulous Art Deco theme, using cool art on their programs, t-shirts and badges.
This year’s event attracted a diverse spectrum of cosplayers with so many great character portrayals.
I personally find the cosplay one of the most exciting things about these types of events. Nothing like walking into Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII or Nami from One Piece and sharing admiration for the work and attention to detail put into their cosplays.
Speaking of cosplay, the Mosaic Cosplay Café was a nice switch from just walking the halls. Here you can enjoy set times to take a break and enjoy entertainment from Mosaic Cosplay. With performances from Sanrio and Super Cute Sanrio Lounge, you could check out your favorites like Hello Kitty and Keroppi. Their were many other features for cosplay enthusiasts including a kimono exhibit, classes for cosplaying on a budget, crossplay vs. genderbending, and much more.
What is a NDK without a little party? Although learning and sharing our love for Japanese animation and culture is the prime highlight of the weekend event, NDK also offered karaoke with DJ Monique attracting hundreds of singers while “Random Dance” helped attendees boogie to random music and moves. The J-pop dance allowed everyone to dance the night away, which felt like it was an anime prom!
All in all, NDK’s 25th annual convention was one for the books. With new voice actors, panels, contests and returning favorites like the Artist Alley, Exhibitors Hall and Gaming areas, NDK continues to impress and entertain audiences around the Rocky Mountain region.
