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FEBRUARY 2013
table of contents
04 06 10 12 16 20 23
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opening messages service leadership fellowship district events sunny’s spotlights contact
pledge of circle k international I pledge to uphold the objects of Circle K International, to foster compassion and goodwill toward others through service and leadership, to develop my abilities and the abilities of all people, and to dedicate myself to the realization of mankind’s potential.
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calendar: february & march Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
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Wednesday
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• Club MRFs due!
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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• FiFun Committee Meeting
• FiFun Committee Meeting
• Kiwanis Mid-Year South
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MRP Deadline 10
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• FiFun • District Committee Board Meeting Meeting
District Convention 17
• Transitional Board Meeting
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Key Club District Convention
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FEBRUARY 2013
opening messages
Governor's Blurb What’s Up Cal-Nev-Ha! I hope things are going well with you all! Since the last issue, a lot has happened in our District, as usual! (When has it not?!) We had major District events like Crazy Kompetition for Infants and Fall Training Conference! There were record breaking attendance, echoing spirit, and a magnified passion for the three tenets of our District. I would like to congratulate the District Committees for hosting these events for the members of our District. There were organized, memorable, and spectacular! As we head into the near end of our terms, there is so much that needs to be done in order to make sure that the passing of titles are successful and that your clubs have a great start. Outgoing officers, remember to transfer files and have conversations with your successors to let them know what needs maintenance and attention for the upcoming year. District Convention is almost here and this is the Sunburst issue sums up all the major events of the year. There will be one issue left after District Convention as a sign-off for the year where it will feature events like District Large Scale Service Project and DCON! I hope you stay tuned for that. Big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this issue and past issues and making our Publications Editor Jennifer Lai’s life so much easier! Her work is amazing because it is reflective off of your work! See you at DCON! :D Jonathan Cao-Nguyen “J-Cao” District Governor 2012-2013
Editor's Notes
My my, it’s been a while since my last issue, hasn’t it?! The last four months have been a crazy roller coaster for our sweet and sunny... or rather, cold and cloudy Cal-Nev-Ha! CKI North/South, Fall Training Conference, and all those big club fundraisers - This issue of the SUNBURST covers all that and much more! As you may know, this is my last full-length issue. Yep, I’m retiring at District Convention! Crazy, right? I’ve enjoyed my year as your SUNBURST editor, and it’s sad to say good-bye... But let’s be real here though - Who’s excited for DCON?! I know I am! :D By now, I’m sure you’ve noticed a trend in the content I select for the SUNBURST. In this issue, you will see all the passion, dedication, and love = people have for this wonderful organization; it really tugs at the heartstrings (mine, at least)! You are what makes CKI so fantastic, and I’m honored to show it to the world through this publication. I want to thank all the writers and photographers for your contribution to this publication - It would not be possible without you! YOU, WAY TO GO, YOU! :) With that said, I do hope you enjoy this issue! I’ll be back after DCON for one last hurrah before I send my blessings to my successor, whoever he/she may be ;) Hope to see y’all at DCON! :) Jennifer Lai
district updates Stay Socially Connected! Official Website: http://cnhcirclek.org International Website: http://circlek.org jCloud: http://www.cnhcirclek.org/JCloud/index.html Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnhcki Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnhcki YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/cnhSUNBOX
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District Totals (as of the end of January)
Total Service Hours: 108944.1 Total Kiwanis Family Events: 1824 Total Interclub Events: 1968 Total Members: 2301 Keep up the great work, CNH CKI!
Mailing Lists & Sunburst Submissions Subscribe to our Member Bi-Monthly Mailing List: http://bit.ly/mbmml Sunburst Submissions: http://bit.ly/sunburstform Stay connected with one another through these Mailing Lists! Presidents: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/cnhcki-presidents1213 Vice Presidents: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/cnhcki-vicepresidents1213 Secretaries: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/cnhcki-secretaries1213 Treasurers: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/ cnhcki-treasurers1213
Regional Advisors' Contact Division
Name
Capital
Dan Germain
dan.germain@yahoo.com
Central Coast
Patrick Ballecer
patrickcki@gmail.com
Desert Oasis
Linda Marx
lmpgh54@yahoo.com
Foothill
Camille Goulet
administrator@cnhcirclek.org
Golden Gate
Phuoc Khong
advisor.phuoc@gmail.com
Magic Kingdom
Armando Velazquez
mondo80@gmail.com
Metro
Tom Ramirez
tramireztom@aol.com
Paradise
Boyd Sauter
boydsauter@hotmail.com
Sunset
Phuoc Khong
advisor.phuoc@gmail.com
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FEBRUARY 2013
service
Aprons & Hairnets: Project Angel Food
Matthew Marquez Mount San Antonio College Mount San Antonio College Circle K woke up bright and early on Sunday, December 16th to assist in the kitchens of Project Angel Food, in Los Angeles. As the November/December District Service Spotlight is set on spreading awareness for AIDS-related issues, this event presented the perfect opportunity to educate Mt. SAC CKI members on how they can make a positive impact on the AIDS community. Project Angel Food is a non-profit organization whose mission is to deliver healthy and nutritious meals to individuals affected by HIV/ AIDS, cancer, and other terminal illnesses. The organization, which has an excellent reputation in the Los Angeles area, provides meals for about 2,000 individuals daily. And making that many meals takes a lot of manpower, which is where Mt. SAC CKI stepped in to lend a hand. Our members grabbed their aprons and hairnets and learned the ins and outs of the organization’s kitchen. The organization’s chef taught our members some valuable kitchen skills ranging from cutting fresh vegetables to sweeping the floors and washing the dishes. By the end of the day, our members assisted in completing about 1000 meals that would later be delivered directly to needy individuals around the area.
An Update with Our International Service Partners This past month, Circle K International launched a campaign called “Show Your Love, Save a Life” to encourage clubs to help raise funds in their respective communities to support The Eliminate Project. The purpose for this idea was to inspire Valentine’s Day-themed fundraisers, both large-scale and smallscale. What better way to show your love this Valentine’s Day than to be part of CKI’s effort to save the lives of babies and mothers around the world from maternal and neonatal tetanus, right?
Dates to Remember
April 6 - Kiwanis One Day On Kiwanis One Day, every club is urged to join with the rest of the Kiwanis family--K-Kids, Builders, Circle K, Aktion Club, and Kiwanis--for a day of united service. March 31-April 6 - CKI Service Week CKI Service Week exists to increase awareness of CKI, the Kiwanis family and CKI’s preferred charities March of Dimes, Students Team Up to Fight Hunger and UNICEF on college campuses. During CKI Service Week up to 13,000 college students could participate.
Preparing Meals for the Holidays
Taylor Escalona UH Hilo
Good Food, Great Company: Feed the Hungry
“Oprah Winfrey once said, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” As the Holiday season is quickly approaching, we as Circle K members must remember and live these wise words of Oprah Winfrey. On November 12, 2012, the members of Circle K at the University of Hawaii at Hilo partnered with the Hilo High School Key Club to “Feed the Hungry.” The day started off with preparing all of the food and dessert for the less fortunate. The main dish we prepared was baked garlic chicken and potatoes. Throughout the day, our members were busy chopping numerous pounds of garlic and potatoes, separating the chicken into two pieces, removing the skin from the chicken, and preparing the rice, corn and paper goods. In addition to the main dish, Circle K also baked and decorated chocolate cupcakes. Although there was a lot that went into the prep work, it was definitely worth it in the end. We then transported the food to Clem Akina Park, where we served the less fortunate. In total, there were
about 40 people that came to enjoy the delicious, homey food and warm company of our Circle K members. For some of our members, this was the first time they experienced something so rewarding and touching. As the less fortunate walked through the line to get their plate of food, we could see how appreciative they were to have food to eat and company to enjoy. The garlic chicken and cupcakes were enjoyed by all and they were delighted to hear they would be able to have seconds. In honor of Veteran’s Day, Circle K at UH Hilo honored Veterans by delivering plates to Veterans dealing with PTSD. All of the Circle K members left that night with heavy hearts, as we visually saw what some people have to go through on a daily basis. Serving the less fortunate helped us realize how much we have to be thankful for each and every day of our lives. This project has had a tremendous impact on our members in many ways and it is definitely something we look forward to doing again.
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FEBRUARY 2013
service Every Step Counts: Strides to End Breast Cancer Mamu Kimura UN Las Vegas The Strides to End Breast Cancer was and event that meant a lot to me. Roughly 30 years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. My grandmother fought for six months before she had lost the battle. Although I was not yet born when this occurred my mother would always tell me stories about her and about how great of a person she was. It seemed cruel to know that such a gentle and genuine person could be a victim of such a ruthless and relentless disease. Since I was a young boy knowing of my grandmothers suffering, I had made a vow to do whatever it will take to help or aid to stop the murder of innocent people from this disease. Now with the actual event, I would say it was very successful. Although we had to wake up quite early it was definitely worth it. The event was held at the JW Marriott up in Summelrin. The area was gorgeous! We all arrived at the JW Marriott roughly around 6:30am. There were so many
sponsors at the event. I think I can speak for us all when I say that Starbucks was our favorite. They were giving away free passion fruit teas! By the time it hit 7:00, hundreds upon hundreds of volunteers and walkers had started to pour in and the event was preparing to kick off. As we waited for the rest of the members to arrive at the event some of us headed down to our designated zone where we were assigned with the two mile mark. Once we were all settled at our zone spot we awaited the walkers to slowly flood the streets. As the walkers passed us we would cheer them on with a “U-R-O-C-K! You Rock! You Rock!�, along with many other cheers. The walkers seemed very energetic and happy with the event. As we kept cheering them on we were greeted with countless compliments for our support. Aside from the cheering and support we were giving towards the walkers and survivors, There was definitely a warm feeling inside with the realization that these survivors, supporters, and maybe even some who is currently diagnosed have so much faith and energy to help rid of this horrible disease. It
was a real eye opener for me and I feel that this was a truly touching and inspiring event to be a part of. As the walk had come to a close, we had all walked back to the JW Marriott parking lot where we waited for the closing of the event. As the participants slowly left we had started to help the American Cancer Society Advisors by working on breaking down the lot. We had gone and collected all the chairs and tables as we stacked them on a cart. The most tedious work had to be the loading of all the left over water cases. As we finished loading the water, we all thought we were done. Sadly, we were wrong. The water that we had loaded we later had to unload at the warehouse storage for their next event. Although it was long hard work at the end it paid off. The advisors of the American Cancer Society was kind enough to treating us with pizza for lunch after we were done. We relaxed in their conference room as we ate and talked. At the end even with all the hard work that we had done, it was truly an amazing and fun experience. I will definitely attend this event and urge anyone who can go to attend!
Manuel Pelayo CSU Dominguez Hills What is Day of the Child? Day of the Child: Children Uniting Nations’ Annual Day of the Child (DOTC) is designed to bring awareness to and support the needs of children who are living in and out of home care. The primary goal of the day is to secure “long-term” mentors for these very special children. Each year we bring together 1,000 youth living in foster care throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area and 1,000 community volunteers (Mentors) for a day of fun in a carnival like atmosphere. Each child is matched with a mentor for the day recruited by our staff from Corporate Partners, Local Colleges, Universities and Community Organizations. The pair enjoy inter-active team building activities, carnival
Ricky Liang UC Berkeley
Day of the Child: Children Uniting Nations
rides, game booths, variety of food and drinks and so forth. This year DOTC was held at Santa Monica Pier and CSUDH Circle K International had the sole privilege of volunteering in this event and getting to know people from different schools and different organization. But what stood out more for me in this event was the fact that I had to opportunity to be paired up with child and just be a mentored for him for a whole day. I had the privileged to be paired up with a 5th grader at first my mentee was a little shy and a bit of uncomfortable due to the fact that he was paired up with me and 4 other girls. But as the day progress he was starting to open up little by little until he got comfortable with us.
What made me happy was the fact that I made a huge impact on him and every time he wanted to go a carnival ride he would ask me “Manny, are you going to get on the ride with me” every time I said “Yes” . The day went by very quick and the time to depart from my mentee was fast approaching so we took advantage of time by riding as many rides as we could have in a short amount of time. So the time to depart finally came, for many mentors like me we were dreading this moment because we bonded with our mentees’ so much that tears started coming out when they left mostly because you knew you made a huge impact to this child’s life that it would be something they would never forget.
Want to Learn How to Chair a Project / Event?
“Say what? I can be the captain of the crew? Make me captain, and I’ll steer us to service!”
“Alright! I think I’ll sign up to chair a project! Being a captain sounds cool, but what exactly do Ihave to do?”
If you want to become the leader for a particular event, you can! By signing up for the chair-a-project list, you’ll be allowed to chair a variety of events, whether they be working with the elderly, the homeless, children, the environment, or some other form of service! Scour the open seas for possibilities of service! Don’t think that the options are only limited to service though. You’ll also be able to sign up for mini-socials that are planned by the Spirit & Social Committee. These include, but arenot limited to, hangouts, food stops, group exercise, and other activities that people like to do together.
Don’t worry; you won’t be left alone to figure everything out by yourself when you sign up to chair a project. You’ll be given all of the instructions you need, from beginning to end. These generally involve making announcements, sending out emails, getting to the event location, figuring out what to do, and coming back. You’ll also be assisted throughout the chairing experience. If you ever need anyone to help you at any point in time, you can speak to a board member and ask for help! They are there to help you enjoy your experience!
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leadership
meet your Ashley Valdez ~ Awards School / Major: CSU Fullerton / History & Anthropology When was the last time you did something for the first time?: Tuesday, May 29th! I went to Sea World for the first time and sat in the shamu show. I saw my first whale! Who (or what) inspires you and why?: Beyoncé
Stefanie Chow ~ DCON School / Major: UC San Diego / Management Science Favorite Animal: PUPPIES! Who (or what) inspires you and why?: Honestly, anyone with a passion about anything positive inspires me. I’m driven by others who are also driven, and these are the people I love to surround myself with. Oftentimes, Circle K members fall into this category. (:
Ruben Ruiz ~ FTC School / Major: UC Berkeley / Social Welfare Major & Global Poverty and Practice Minor What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod?: Bruises by Chairlift, but close behind is Big Bang’s Bad Boy! Who (or what) inspires you and why?: My parents inspire me everyday. They made me into the person that I am today.
Andrew Tom ~ K-Family School / Major: UC Davis / Biosystems Engineering What was your favorite TV show as a child?: Power Rangers! Who (or what) inspires you and why?: I’m inspired by people who never give up! Makes me not want to give up!
district chairs Lauren Kim ~ MD&E School / Major: Orange Coast College / International Relations Favorite Color?: Coral and cyan. They are both so pretty and happy! They brighten up everyone’s day! Who (or what) inspires you and why?: The members in Circle K really inspire me. I’ve seen so many of them grow from shy little kids right out of high school to these super independent men and women. I’ve learned how to be a leader because of them. They all have really good intentions and the best stories! I always love talking to them for hours on end. I can talk till the sun goes up or the sun goes down :D
Leonne Chung ~ Service School / Major: UC Davis / Major: Biological Sciences with emphasis in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior/ Minor: Animal Sciences Favorite Meme?: ALL THE THINGS! Who (or what) inspires you and why?: It would be my brother because he has given me sound advice on how I should handle a lot of things that have gone “wrong” in life. My brother is always realistic with me; he has shown me how to stay strong. My grandmother, too! I admire how she is so optimistic and chill about everything. Her overall aura just brings brightness to every situation she’s in.
Jennifer Lai ~ Publications School / Major: UC Los Angeles / Political Science & Philosophy Minor If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?: Anything and everything for anyone and everyone. Life should always be a celebration, no matter what the reason! Oh, and of course, a party for and with PR ‘cause they’re bound to be awesome. ;) Who (or what) inspires you and why?: God, my family, and my friends. They’ve been there all my life, and I’m eternally grateful.
Truong Pham ~ Technology School / Major: CSU Fullerton / Computer Science If you could throw any kind of party, what would it be like and what would it be for?: LAN Party, for games. Who (or what) inspires you and why?: My club
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fellowship
Crowning the Next
“
Mr.CKI
By the end of the night, everyone could tell that choosing Mr. CKI 2013 was going to be a tough decision to make.
Connie Phan UC Irvine Twelve Greek gods from all over Southern California stood in the shadows of the colosseum, waiting for their battle to begin--the battle they’ve been training three long and relentless weeks for. Who would be the ultimate Greek god? Who would be crowned Mr. CKI 2013? Which one of these divine and almighty men would bring home the glory and honor to their family? The crowd waited patiently and finally, at 6:30p.m., one by one, the gods, adorned in their silk togas and laurel head wreaths, walked down the aisles of the room, entering the arena. For the next 4 hours, this would be their battlefield. This competition consisted of three parts. First, each contestant had to emulate the god they thought they most closely depicted. Along with their togas, they also had a prop or two that they modeled as they cat-walked across the stage. Just to name a few…there was Aros with his enchanting bow and arrow. Hermes with his metallic winged sandals. Poseidon with his dashing trident. Helios with his scintillating sun. In addition to their props, each also came up with a clever introduction for themselves. “Helios… god of the sun—he could melt
the earth, but he would rather melt your heart.” “Apollo, god of music.. he could strum his harp, but he would rather strum your heartstrings.” The next portion of the competition required each of the contestants to demonstrate his talent. Perhaps the most essential component of this battle, this would definitely give the contestants an opportunity to set themselves apart from the rest. Every god had interesting and unique talents, ranging from using mental strength to rip phonebooks in half to swallowing two spoonfuls of cinnamon without water. Some talents had the crowd swooned. Once when the ever so charming Aros sang an acoustic love medley. Or when Hermes stepped off the stage and into the crowd to find his wife and dedicate a rap/song/spoken word to her. The last and possibly the most challenging part of the battle was the interview. Separated into groups of three, the twelve gods had to answer a series of questions. This portion helped demonstrate to the judges each contestant’s ability to think on their feet. By the end of the night, everyone could tell that choosing Mr.CKI 2013 was going to be a tough deci-
Looking Back: Masquerade Ball Jason Seto UC San Diego
sion to make. All the gods proved their worth for the crown. All of them gave their heart and soul. All shed their blood, sweat, and tears shed on the battlefield that night. Despite all that, there could be only one winner. At the end of the night, Sam Barke (Aphrodite) was crowned! Chosen for his charisma and undying enthusiasm, he proudly accepted! Ronnie Nguyen (Hercules), a close friend and worthy opponent, also took home two awards, “People’s Choice” and “Best Talent Act”! This night was undoubtedly an entertaining and unforgettable experience for everyone. The best part of it was the amount of money raised! All of it was to be donated to Project Eliminate, a district fundraising initiative that aims to reduce maternal and neonatal tetanus. With the dedication and hard work of the contestants and fundraising committee, the willingness of the judges and hosts to volunteer their time, the generosity of the audience to donate money, over $1000 was made! ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. Imagine how high that would be stacked in dollar bills! Close enough to reach Mount Olympus?! Quite possibly. :)
One Club. One Committee. One Goal. How do you measure late, sleepless nights, and long days? How do you measure even one of those? How do you measure the night before a midterm, a paper, a lab report, and choosing to do something that needs to be done for this organization instead? How do you weigh one of those choices? How do you measure each sacrifice—both infinitesimally small, and extraordinarily large? Now, how do you do it again and again, and again, and again for six months? You can’t. But these are all tangible things that every member of this committee has had to face. At times, each one of us were brought to our knees. Brought to tears even. In these past six months, we’ve seen adversity and turmoil in planning this event— unlike any year before; from resignations, to price increases, to funding cuts, and selling limitations. But each time thereafter, we had not one, but six co-chairs to pick us up, a supportive board to push us on, and over 200 members to pull us back to our feet. We stepped up, and overcame every obstacle along the way with determination, and perseverance. It is only fitting that this year represents the greatest fundraising and volunteer effort ever known to UCSD Circle K.
This organization succeeds when we act together as one. In all my life, I’ve never been more proud to call myself a UCSD Circle K Member, with this committee, and with all of you here with me. So, on behalf of myself, Pediatric Trauma Programs, and the lives of children everywhere who will be saved by funds raised through this initiative. Thank you. I love you all.
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FEBRUARY 2013
From
fellowship
Rose Floats
to
Broomball
needed to wear khakis and a red or white t-shirt or polo in order to be distinguished as a volunteer. MemGrace Go bers participated in activities such as arts and crafts UC Berkeley with children ages 2 to 12. Everyone else went to the scavenger hunt. It startGo West is a community service and social event ed at the Paseo which is an outdoor mall. Many of the hosted by Pasadena City College at the Altadena Bap- challenges involved taking pictures or solving puzzles. tist Church. It occurred from December 29 to 31, 2012, One station also involved coming up with appreciaa 2 day and 3 night event. tion cheers. The winning team got drinks from Flour There were over 200 attendees from all over Cali- and Tea. Between the end of each of these activities, fornia-Nevada-Hawaii that either there was a break before going to stayed the entire time or did There we found many the rose float decorating. one day registration. Those that The rose float decorating was other volunteers from the at the Rosemont Pavillion. There stayed the entire time slept in the church. A portion of the fees Kiwanis family including we found many other volunteers raised from registration went toKey Club, KIWIN’S, and from the Kiwanis family includwards Pediatric Trauma Program Kiwanis. Nearly everyone ing Key Clubbers and Kiwanians. (PTP), one of the District Fundpresent was wearing the Nearly everyone present was raising Initiatives. Beginning on Kiwanis International shirt. wearing the Kiwanis International Saturday night, there were board shirt. games and cards. Clubs and diviWe were led to the hanger sions also brought their shirts to sell to one another where we found the floats. Members were able to and sometimes even for a discount. help by spreading out the petals on flowers and putSaturday also allowed for free time for people to ting a wooden spear into them so that they can stick explore the area including a nearby Roscoe’s Chicken into the float. Other members helped the Kiwanians and Waffles. Those that stayed at the church were fed put staples into the float to keep decorations in place. by the members of Pasadena City College. Later that Members took shifts working and walking around night was broomball. Although many people fell and looking at the other floats. Circle Kers were there unleft with bruises, everyone had fun or at least a laugh. til 2AM. Sunday began with a pancake breakfast provided Then Monday morning, members went back to the by PCC members. Then there was a choice of either Pavillion to finish the float. Then on New Year’s Day, going to a scavenger hunt at the Paseo or helping at the Kiwanis float appeared with the District Govera service event Kidspace Snow Days at the Kidspace nors of Key Club, Kiwin’s, Circle K, and Kiwanis in the Children’s Museum. Members going to Kidspace Rose Parade.
“
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Mei Kuen Tran UC Riverside 5th Annual Kids Rock Benefit Concert: Night with the Stars is also known as K-Rock. K-Rock is a concert hosted by Circle K at UCR to raise money for the Pediatric Trauma Program. I was so lucky to have been appointed the first K-Rock Chair and have such a great committee to contribute to K-Rock. We started planning K-Rock about 8 months ago. From the venue to the performers to the theme, we debated over countless ideas. There were many bumps in the road, but we were able to over come it. We had many talented performers, who were AJ Rafael, Albert Posis, afterschoolspecial (DANakaDAN), Not So Sharp Acapella, 909 dance team, MaryKim & Sandrine, HMWK, Greg Newman, Aimee Pan, and Shawn Barros. K-Rock was such a success due to the hard work of K-Rock Committee. K-Rock raised over $2,735 and it had the most attendance ever! One of our Circle K Alumni that went to all 5 K-Rocks told me that this was the best K-Rock he’s been to. Another Circle K Alumni told me that she really liked the overall view of the stage and the lighting. I can’t wait to see how the next K-Rock turns out!
From
the
Kids Rock BenefittoConcert Pillow Fight
Pillows, Pajamas, and Hot Models… what do all of these have in common? They were all present at UCLA CKI’s Annual Pillow Fight Fundraiser! Every year UCLA Circle K hosts a large scale pillow fight while raising money for a selected charity. This year, for the second consecutive year, the beneficiary for Pillow Fight was Alexandria House. Alexandria House is a transitional home for women and children in Los Angeles. This year the theme for the event was Mario. To fit the theme there was many Mario character cut outs arranged throughout the room and a big decorated backdrop were participants could take pictures in front of. Participants were also able to sign up on teams named after Mario characters to compete for great prizes. Amongst some of the prizes were gift cards to 800 Degrees, BJ’s, Starbuck, Fandango, and the grand prize was tickets to Universal Studios Theme PARK! We raised around 3,000$ and had about 300 attendees! As the Pillow Fight Chair I was really pleased with how the event turned out. I hope that next year’s event will be just as amazing!
Prescilla Arellano UC Los Angeles
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district events Ashton Pike UC Los Angeles My day at CKI South was, without a doubt, exhilarating and filled with pure adrenaline. I drove to the event with several new members in my car, which was nice because I was able to get to know each of them, even getting the majority of them pumped and willing to participate in the events. Not gonna lie, at the event, I was a little worried that it might be boring, with our club and other clubs just playing games with each other. However, as soon as the events were under way, I realized that I had struck a gold mine of pure adrenaline and competitive spirit. All the competitive teams from the other schools were friendly, but at the same time, they had a spirit in them that screamed “You’re going down,” making me all the more pumped for the day’s events. I am so proud of my team, Team Cutthroat (Billy, Diane, Karen, Neil, Suraj) for blowing out the rest of the competitors in our block with their immense, fierce drive to win. I felt so alive and was ready to take down all other challengers. What reinforced this was the amount of energy coming from my teammates and our drive to wipe the floor with the competition, hehehe.
Crazy for
south For the jump rope skip, we had to use an insane amount of concentration to coordinate each skip, so much that we got to the point where all of us were buckling our knees from the exhaustion. We also hit the relay with the math problem, wheelbarrow, orange pass, and shake that junk in almost record times. Balloon stomp was for sure the most intense of the preliminaries. All my teammates and I were so proud watching each other stomp away at our competitors. The most intense match was without a doubt Steal the Bacon, the final match between the best teams from each section. I hadn’t felt my body pump blood or adrenaline at that rate for the longest time, so I was extremely heated and aggressive. Look at the photos of my teammates and I, and you’ll see just what I’m talking about! It took me about 1.5 hrs before my adrenaline disappeared after CKI South was over. In the end, we got 2nd or 3rd place, and although we didn’t get first, I still believe that my team performed phenomenally and made my day. CKI South will be forever remembered as the day I flipped my lid and embraced my competitive side.
Kompetition north infants James Hui UC Davis
Crazy Kompetition for Infants North was an intense day of competitive events, along with an informational workshop about the Pediatric Trauma Program (PTP). With over 200 people spanning from 19 different schools spread across Northern California and Northern Nevada, the events were split into three different brackets, and teams of six competed in all of the events within their respective brackets. I entered the competition with five other friends under the team name “The Nom-Nommers” (I have no clue about the origins of this name), one of five teams that represented UC Davis. We even had matching non-club t-shirts to display our unity. We had never practiced any of the events of the competition prior to the actual date of the competition, so we decided to wing each event and see how far that would take us in the tournament. To our surprise, we performed exceptionally well relative to many of the other teams. Our times for the relay events were above average and we nearly dominated the Balloon Stomping competition within our bracket. Although we didn’t obtain the top times for the relay events, our scores for the other events compensated for our lack in fast time trials. It was nearing the end of the competition and so it was time for the announcement of the top placing team from each bracket. As the CKI North Chair, Erin Szelagowski, began announcing the winning teams, I felt enormous anticipation and anxiety. The top four teams consist-
ed of three schools from Capital Division (UN Reno, UC Davis, and Sac State) and one from Golden Gate Division (UC Berkeley). This mystery was announced to be a “Human Robot Battle”, where each team chose one member to be the core of the robot. The goal of this final event was to knock off all the balloons of all of the opposing teams, and ultimately becoming victorious by remaining as the last team standing. After an insanely crazy, slightly brutal, and intensely chaotic fight, my team and I jumped and cheered in celebration for our victory immediately after we heard the sound of the last balloon popping. As I was jumping and cheering joyously, I noticed blood dripping from my nose. Although I am not positively sure what caused the nosebleed as I had too much adrenaline rushing through me, and no amount of blood lost would have stopped me from winning that last event to grant us the title of CKI North Champions. Overall, Crazy Kompetition for Infants North was a successful event, and it is definitely listed as one of my most favorite and memorable Circle K events. It’s not every day that schools from all over Northern California and Northern Nevada come together to compete in a tournament with all of the proceeds going towards a great cause, and such a spectacle was immensely overwhelming for me. I am extremely proud that my team and I competed remarkably against all opposing teams and brought the title of CKI North Champions back to UC Davis.
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FEBRUARY 2013
district events
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This conference taught me more about myself: my restraints, my opportunities, my passions, my goals.
Fall Training Conference April Rios CSU Fullerton
Becoming a college freshman brings out anxieties that you wouldn’t think existed, but becoming a part of Fullerton’s Circle K International calmed all those fears and anxieties. To be more specific, participating in the Fall Training Conference calmed all those fears. At the 2012 Fall Training Conference I had the opportunity to create bonds with my peers and learn more about my club roots and family. It was my first college trip anywhere and I could not have asked for anything better. I met many people from different schools: from the University of Berkeley to more local students from California State University of Long Beach. This trip provided me with the opportunity to be part of my club, not only through a membership fee but through the bonds of friendship and leadership. I bonded with my club’s my president, vice presidents, secretary, as well as with general members. In other words, because of this trip I now have the opportunity to not only do service but to have fun and enjoy my new college friendships as well. I don’t feel as intimidated by college and its new ways of making friends, on the contrary I am more com-
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fortable and open to the experience. But I not only built my confidence about college and make new friendships, I learned about my club and its roots. During the conference, I learned about Circle K International’s divisions and the many branches of Kiwanis International. I learned how Circle K began and its purposes. I learned about the service projects we all are part of and of the difference we make as members. Most importantly, this conference brought back the little light in me that had gone out. It relit my passion for service and reminded why I am part of the Kiwanis family. This trip was amazing and in all reality life-changing, because had it not come along I may not have been serving my community with passion, or happiness, or at all. This conference taught me more about myself: my restraints, my opportunities, my passions, my goals. It made me see how much I love my club in its entirety and most importantly that I love service and want to change the world one small step at a time. I am incredibly grateful of having been a part of such an experience. I am a proud Circle K International general member. I am part of a family that loves to serve. I am part of a family of leaders. I make a difference. We, Circle K International, are amazing.
Down the Rabbit Holeto Service
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FEBRUARY 2013
sunny's spotlights
Service Spotlight: what is the “service spotlight”? January & February The Service Spotlight is a bimonthly display of information on a certain service organization that the district has chosen to highlight to help promote and educate members about its cause.
In the year 2010, 925 million people in the world were dealing with hunger because of poverty. Poverty is an ongoing issue that affects many people, including the united
states. The month of January is National Poverty Awareness month in the United States. For the last two months, we as a district aimed to help combat poverty and help those who
are affected by it daily. Hosting a food drive, volunteering at a local shelter, helping out at a food bank, and serving at a soup kitchen are great ideas to partake in this spotlight!
Big shoutout to the Sunset Divison for rocking the November-December Service Spotlight, Cause: AIDS, by raising funds at Mission College’s Banquet for the AIDS Foundation. Great job, everyone! Thank you for your deidcation! It does not go unnoticed :)
Missed Out or Need to Catch a Webinar? We have just the solution for you! Thanks to our District Technology Chair, Truong Pham, all webinars have been recorded and uploaded to the Cal-Nev-Ha Circle K YouTube channel, the cnhSUNBOX! Click on any of the following topics to view the webinar from your browser: 11/16/2012 - Successful Service Projects Made Easy 12/20/2012 - Effective Marketing/Publicity Strategies and Tactics 12/20/2012 - Receipts, Reimburstments, and Donation Letters 12/23/2012 - Kiwanis Family Tips & Tricks 01/03/2013 - Everything You Need to Know About Awards 01/10/2013 - Planning the Ultimate Event 01/18/2013 - Service Projects to Keep/Motivate Members to do SERVICE 02/21/2013 - DFI FYI (Coming Soon!) Feel free to check out these webinars at your convenience. Trust me, there is A LOT of great information shared in all of them that you will find beneficial for you and your club! Good luck!
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what is “sunny’s spotlights”?
Sunny’s Spotlights is a corner where CNH recognizes the clubs and/or individuals that stand out and go above and beyond in the areas of service and fundraising. Stay tuned for the next issue to see if your school is featured!
Serv ic e: E l Ca m in o Colleg e Jannette Alvarez El Camino College The LA Food Bank caters to shelters, schools, senior homes, and many more locations. The work they do is truly marvelous and being able to take part in this process is amazing. On Monday morning, January 14 we went to our first weekday service event. We had volunteered with the LA Food Bank before and were use to the large volunteer groups, so we were curious on how the volunteer process was on a weekday. There weren’t a lot of people, but we were very efficient. We were placed in the freezer and separated different food items. It was interesting to learn that food last much longer than the expiration date says. Food that did not have both the nutrition facts and expiration
date had to be thrown away. We had to throw away boxes of bread because it did not have nutritional facts, although some of the food that had to be thrown away, it was placed in separate bin to be turned to dog food. So in reality nothing went to waste. We were able to separate and sort five crates of food between all the volunteers. The LA Food Bank is a service project that keeps you active for the whole day. There was not a time where we did not have anything to do, and after a while carrying all the milk and juice really wears a person down. At the end of the project we were given a spoon that’s also a pen, a ‘spen’ if you will. Volunteering at the LA Food Bank always leaves us with a sense of accomplishment and achievement. I look forward to volunteering there again soon.
Fu n d ra is in g: SF Sta te U n iv ers ity Anna Fang San Francisco State University One of my proudest accomplishments this year would have to be meeting all of our club’s District Fundraising Initiative goals. Back in March of last year when we were discussing club goals, our board had an intense meeting where we listed out all of our goals in a determined manner. During our color-coded, dry-erase marker goalmaking session we established what we wanted to accomplish in terms of service, membership, leadership, etc. Since I was treasurer, one of the goals I was most nervous about was fundraising. In high school, I had experience working on fundraisers that we do annually. But implementing and collaborating entirely new fundraisers from the ground up was a completely new concept to me. Through trial and error I found that time is always of the essence to any successful fundraiser. Out of the various events I was involved in, the most successful
ones in terms of execution and profits were the fundraisers we planned weeks, if not months in advance. During our most successful fundraising streak, we sold boba drinks in two flavors to San Francisco State students out in the quad for $3 apiece. We kept in constant communication with our vendors, providing them with orders, payments, and updates in order to ensure smooth transactions. We learned that letting our vendors know about our long-term fundraising strategy helped them understand our needs and allowed them to help us meet our goals. I’ve also learned from starting new fundraisers that a spreadsheet with projected expenses and profits never hurts. It can be invaluable when planning out your fundraiser. In addition to overestimating expenses and underestimating gains to get your ballpark net profit, the spreadsheet can also help you and the fundraising committee brainstorm and revise expenses to see where you can cut unnecessary items or even where you can get those expenses for free. There are many things I have learned through my adventures in fundraising and I believe that this is the true accomplishment, meeting the goals was just the icing on top.
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FEBRUARY 2013
shoutouts & announcements
Brian Kan UC Los Angeles
UCLA Circle K presents its Circle K Apparel! Strut around campus with your hoodie and tank and look fabulous! Costs (does not include shipping): Hoodies - $35 Tanks - $10 For more information, please check out our APPAREL page at http://bit.ly/ckiapparel or contact Brian Kan at uclackitreas@gmail.com.
Well, I am still not entirely sure what exactly an OGM is – it sounds like some sort of medical device or procedure – but I am assuming it refers to non-board members. Although I would certainly like to be in a board position someday, now ending my third semester as a Circle K member I can certainly say that one does not have to be a board member to be active or enjoy the livelihood of the organization. From running around paranoid of assassins to helping to local community paint a mural or leading a team at the recent Wonder Games of Fall Training Conference, I have to say that it has been an incredible three semesters thus far. While time constraints are challenging, the time that I put into this organization – no matter how little or great, was well worth it. I’ve certainly met many interesting people in my time in this organization that I most likely would not have the chance to interact with. The guy that trolls in the most hilarious ways, or even that girl who has an odd way of showing her appreciation of people comes to mind.
An OGM UC Berkeley
Ah, the memories -- enough with the rambling. At the end of the day we’re all here, as a sort of extended family, and I would like to thank each and every person that I’ve met for that. I’d like to thank you all for my happier outlook on life, making me do things out of my “comfort zone”, many less lonely nights, and of course, the memories –of which I’m sure will be filled with many more great adventures in fellowship, service, and leadership. Thank you, you’ve really changed my life Highlander babies!
Lily Ung UC Riverside
I never got the chance to tell you how proud I am of every single one of you-board members (A&E) and general members. Fall quarter has been a bumpy ride but it was worth it. Thank you for waking up super early for service projects, for coming out to socials and fundraisers, for making new friends and new members feel welcome. This is only the beginning of something great and I hope you all continue to be a part of this wonderful family. With love, Lily Ung
Camille Goulet
contact
District Administrator administrator@cnhirclek.org
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Executive Board Jonathan Cao-Nguyen District Governor governor@cnhcirclek.org
David Limjoco
District Secretary secretary@cnhcirclek.org
Hans Meimban
District Treasurer treasurer@cnhcirclek.org
Lieutenant Governors Fiona Cheng
Kevin Gordy
Capital capital@cnhcirclek.org
Central Coast centralcoast@cnhcirclek.org
Kevin Goble
Chloe Shih
Mikael Miller
Stephanie Nguyen
Sean Nguyen
Azhar Deen
Tony Wang
Foothill foothill@cnhcirclek.org
Metro metro@cnhcirclek.org
Golden Gate goldengate@cnhcirclek.org
Paradise paradise@cnhcirclek.org
Desert Oasis desertoasis@cnhcirclek.org
Magic Kingdom magickingdom@cnhcirclek.org
Sunset sunset@cnhcirclek.org
District Chairs Ashley Valdez
Stefanie Chow
Ruben Ruiz
Andrew Tom
Lauren Kim
Brett Butler
Jennifer Lai
Leonne Chung
Truong Pham
Awards awards@cnhcirclek.org
Kiwanis Family kfamily@cnhcirclek.org
Publications Editor editor@cnhcirclek.org
District Convention dcon@cnhcirclek.org
Membership Development & Education mde@cnhcirclek.org
Service service@cnhcirclek.org
Fall Training Conference ftc@cnhcirclek.org
On To International Convention icon@cnhcirclek.org
Technology technology@cnhcirclek.org
a Kiwanis-family member www.circlek.org
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