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May 19, 2016
Belvoir celebrates Asian American, Pacific Islander Heritage Month By Amanda Stewart Staff writer The sights and sounds of Hawaii, Polynesia, Tahiti and more filled the Fort Belvoir Community Center ballroom May 12 during the Equal Opportunity Office’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration. The highlight of the observance was a performance by the Hawaiian Entertainment and Catering Company, based in Baltimore, and led by Hawaii native Aaron Paki Allen. “What better way to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month than to celebrate with the beautiful music and dances from the state of Hawaii,” Allen said at the start of the performance. The group members performed traditional Tahitian, Hawaiian and Polynesian dances, while Allen explained some of the history and cultural traditions behind the dances. Allen explained that Hawaii is often described as “the melting pot of the Pacific” and much of the music and dance thought of as traditionally Hawaiian has been influenced by many other cultures. The group invited women in the audience to the dance floor to learn the hula, while Allen explained the meaning behind each of the hand movements. “The hula is a very interpretive dance that tells a story,” Allen said. “Just like in sign language, every hand motion has a meaning.” The group also invited men in the audience to the dance floor to learn the haka, a traditional Maori warrior dance. “How do you think our warriors of Fort Belvoir did today?” Allen asked to cheers from the audience after the dance. “I think you would have protected your village well, in the olden days.” After the performance, the audience sampled traditional Hawaiian food and other Asian cuisine, including sushi and kimchi. The theme for this year’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is “Walk together, embrace differences, build legacies,” and the observance also gave some Service members the chance to share their cultural heritage. Traditional clothing and other items were on display during the
Up Front Installation Safety Day, bike ride
Safety Day is today from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Motorcycle Training Center, 16th Street and Belvoir Road, Bldg. 259. Safety Day includes a Bicycle Safety Awareness-Share the Road event. The bike ride will take place from 10 a.m.-noon. Call 703-806-3447 for more information.
Join Cub Scouts
Fort Belvoir Cub Scout Pack 118 has its Spring Join Scout Night for families to get information and learn about Cub Scouts and summer camps. The event is today, 6-8 p.m. at the Scout Hut, 10002 Caples Road, beside the Belvoir Thrift Shop. Info is available from Lorraine Horton, 808-388-4985, rainyhorton@gmail.com.
Army Emergency Relief
Belvoir’s goal for this year’s Army Emergency Relief fundraising is $160,000 and the campaign’s been extended through May. For information about AER and how to donate, visit www.aerhq.org. Toni Cuttino is the Belvoir AER officer, 703-805-3130, toni.m.cuttino.civ@mail.mil.
Spouse Welcome Orientation
Photo by Paul Lara
Kaelani Rogers and Kane Shimabukura perform a traditional Polynesian dance May 12 at the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration at Fort Belvoir Community Center. event and Sgt. 1st Class Donnel Cabanos, Equal Opportunity adviser for Army Cyber Command and the event’s master of ceremonies, opened by greeting the audience in Tagalog, the language spoken in her native country of the Philippines. Fort A.P. Hill Command Sgt. Maj. Weiquan Ho also spoke at the event, sharing his experience of coming to America from China as a teenager.
“When we landed at JFK Airport, the thing that stood out the most … was that I could see a lot of people from different cultures. Many people from different cultures, different countries, speaking different languages, all in the same place. I thought that was pretty cool,” Ho said. “I’m very grateful that this country offers us the opportunity, offers us the freedom to celebrate our differences.”
ACS invites spouses of all military components – active, Guard, Reserve and DoD civilians who are new to the installation; and spouses who want to learn more about the Belvoir community to a Spouse Welcome Orientation. The orientation includes informational presentations from community partners, including the commissary, civilian personnel, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, CYSS, and more. Spouse orientation is at ACS, 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg. 200, May 26, from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information call ACS at 703-805-3436.
Memorial Observance
Fort Belvoir observes Memorial Day, May 26 at 10 a.m. at the Cold War Memorial on Long Parade Field. Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho Jr., joint staff surgeon for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the guest speaker. Info is available from public affairs, 703-805-2034.