Joy Kogawa, "honourary drummer" for Gung Haggis Fat Choy Kogawa House dragon boat team
Media alert:
June 9th, 2006
JOY KOGAWA - honourary drummer for Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.
You are invited to a special Gung Haggis Fat Choy Kogawa House dragon boat team activity and dragon boat practice.
It is also a photo opportunity with our honourary drummer, Joy Kogawa. Take a picture with Joy and the team on a dragon boat. For 2006, Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team added Kogawa House to its name to help promote awarness for the Save Kogawa House campaign. In 2005, the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team recieved the Hon. David Lam Multicultural Award for being the team that "best respresented the multicultural spirit" of the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.
Joy Kogawa OC, OBC, is one of Canada's most important literary figures. Her award winning novel, Obasan, introduced many Canadians to the challenging experiences of the internment of Japanese Canadians during WW2. Obasan was the 2005 choice for One Book One Vancouver, by the Vancouver Public Library. Her children's novel "Naomi's Road" was adapted in 2005 into an opera, by the Vancouver Opera.
Joy Kogawa's childhood home, was recently saved from demolition and purchased by The Land Conservancy of BC. The GHFCKH dragon boat team is committed to raising awareness and funds for the preservation of historic Joy Kogawa House, and to help create a national literary landmark for Canada. Joy will recieve her Order of BC on June 22nd.
June 23rd - Gung Haggis Fat JOY KOGAWA HOUSE fundraiser dinner:
The Gung Haggis Fat Choy Kogawa House dragon boat team helps to host a fundraiser for Kogawa House at Flamingo Chinese Restaurant. 3489 Fraser St., 6pm reception, 7pm dinner. This dinner will celebrate Joy's Order of BC, purchase of Kogawa House by TLC, and present the inaugural Gung Haggis Fat Choy intercultural arts achievement award to Vancouver Opera for their production of "Naomi's Road."
Sunday, June 11, 2006
10:30am
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens: The Gung Haggis team coach Todd Wong leads a tour to introduce concepts of harmony and balance, yin and yang. Paddler Steven Wong will lead a Tai Chi / Qi Gong exercise following.
12 noon
Dragon boat dumplings and Dim Sum:
We go for dim sum and have traditional dragon boat sticky rice dumplings wrapped in tea leaves. Floata Restaurant. 50 Keefer Street.
1pm
Dragon boat practice and paddling:
meet at "Dragon Zone" - the green trailer building, just a few steps south of Science World, above the Aqua Bus/ False Creek Ferries. This is where the dragon boat dock is.
Photo opportunity: Joy Kogawa and the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Kogawa House dragon boat team.
We will have a 30 minute warm-up and dragon boat history introduction, followed by a 20 minute dragon boat paddle. Return Joy and special guests off on the dock, then continue for an additional 60 minutes for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Kogawa House dragon boat team practice.
Cheers, Todd
604-240-7090
Save Kogawa House committee and campaign
www.kogawahouse.com
Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team
www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/GungHaggisdragonboatteaminformation
The Land Conservancy of BC
www.conservancy.bc.ca