Awards-ful Year, Feeling Blessed!

By: Veronica Leighton

 

As the old year 2019 bids us farewell, and we are ready to welcome the new year 2020 with open arms, we cannot help but look back at the fruits that we have reaped in the soon-to-be old year.

It would be remiss if I don’t share the list of accomplishments that we consider our pride, your pride and, of course, our community’s pride. Please bear with me….

April, 2019 – Golden Heart Award for Humanitarian Service by the Chicago Philippine Lions Club; June, 2019 – Officially and honorably appointed as Honorary Cook County Deputy Treasurer by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas; September, 2019 – Distinguished Alumna award from my alma mater, the University of the Philippines Alumni Association in America at San Francisco National Convention; October, 2019 – Outstanding Media Award and Woman of Legion Award given by NVP1 World Entertainment; October, 2019; Exemplary Citizen Award by the Marriage Recognition Banquet by Marina and Jhon Acevedo for the Hispanic Heritage Month, for me and my husband, Joe Mauricio; October, 2019 – Recognized as one of the three Women Visionaries award (together with Estrella Alamar and Adeline Fajardo) during the Filipino American History Month by the Philippine Consulate General and Philippine American Cultural Foundation; December, 2019 – Winner of the Best Magazine on Migration by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas – Republic of the Philippines Office of the President.

Moreover, adding further to these feathers in our cap is the most successful 2019 gala event in our Chicago community, our annual Chicago Filipino Asian American Hall of Fame Silver Anniversary and Grand Reunion, held last November 9, 2019 at Hyatt Regency O’Hare, with about 700 people in attendance and 21 Hall of Fame recipients, graced by our Honorable Ambassador to the United States, Jose Manuel Romualdez, as our keynote speaker.

So, we feel blessed to the core! We hope and pray that the coming year will remain appreciative of what we do, think, and work on for the sake of our community- at-large. Thanks so much to our nominators and the recognition bodies of the organizations that honored us and, of course, telling you that these awards truly humbled us, in a big way .

Our special December 2019 issue is full of community- filled Christmas activities for the first half of the month, as it seems that our community never sleeps when Christmas time comes around. Enjoy, as usual, your favorite columnists bringing to you their special messages of the season. Welcome to our new young writer who’s debuting in this issue (page 14, Kayla Tejero, a terrific one, as she has been winning the top awards of the annual Essay Contest of the Philippine Independence Week Committee (PIWC). Kayla features young Filipino Americans from different school campuses. Our editorial writer, Joe Mauricio, bespeaks of what the Spirit of Christmas brings out to the humanity. Watch out for more exciting and interesting features and stories for our upcoming second half of December issue (January 2020).

Our Friendsgiving/Christmas party on December 1 st was a fun day for our staff and friends. See pictures on page 7. Thanks much to our venue sponsor, Salina Vest and Phil Contursi.

It has been a wonderful time of the year! May you have a fun-filled Christmas, love, peace, understanding and camaraderie, wherever you are to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birthday! ###

Group shot of VT/CPRTV Friendsgiving/Christmas Party 2019 held Dec. 1, 2019 at Space Stage Studios.(Photo by: Black Adobo Photography)