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Summer 2010 Newsletter
President's Message
Late June, I walked around the garden imagining the artisans here at work, unloading the storage containers full to the brim with material sent from Chongquing, working with the stone and wood supplies, building Knowing the Spring Courtyard. Unexpectedly, a full docent tour came by. They were marveling at the sight and excited about the artisans coming, planning to return so they, too, could be here when they arrive. This is going to be huge, I thought. We will have adults and children coming every day to watch the artisans work and build this magnificent garden.
These past seven months have been busy, highlighted by several notable events that earned us many new friends and supporters. Omar and Christine Lee conducted a wonderful benefit dinner and auction in November (page 7 and photo below) and we participated in February’s Hong Kong Association of Washington Chinese New Year Gala (page 3). We greatly appreciate the enthusiasm of the Chinese community leaders pictured on these pages who are helping expand our outreach. More than 300 people attended our June 19 Brick Campaign Kickoff Dinner, which raised more than $45,000 (story on the website).
Many contributions of all sizes from organizations and individuals enabled us to weather the recession and keep the Garden alive. Last year we received a $200,000 grant from the Norcliffe Foundation, and fundraising recently moved into a most encouraging upswing with four new contributions — $250,000 pledged by The Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation, $40,000 from The Committee of 33, $25,000 from Pete and Andrea Paup, and $10,000 from HSBC, a new corporate supporter. These votes of confidence come at a critical time, as we are bringing the Chinese artisans to Seattle this summer to complete Knowing the Spring Courtyard and we must complete fundraising too! Thank you to these generous supporters who are making a difference.
I continue to be awestruck by the hundreds of people who are supporting the Garden with smaller donations and, equally important, devoting their time and talents to events, office support, and garden maintenance. Volunteers among our board and docent team continue fulfilling our paramount educational and cultural mission through monthly public programs and other activities.
The Garden is serving the community by bringing people together to learn about and strengthen our ties to China while building a unique gathering place and new cultural icon for the region. Thanks to all who have contributed to this mission — let’s keep building momentum and spirit.
Jon Geiger
President of the Board
Garden Receives Grant from the Miller Foundation
The Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation recently awarded a $250,000 grant to the Seattle Chinese Garden, to be distributed over 2010 and 2011. This major gift is a huge boost to our goal to complete Knowing the Spring Courtyard and open it to the public in late fall.
Betty Miller was a world-renowned horticulturist and plantswoman whose own five-acre garden remains a botanical treasure, with thousands of species and cultivars, many rare and many native to Asia. Some of Betty’s plants will live on in the Chinese Garden. Her numerous civic achievements included selecting the plantings at Freeway Park and beautifying the banks of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and traffic islands throughout Seattle. The Miller Foundation carries on the philanthropic work so important to Betty and Pendleton, with a special focus on horticulture and education.
Betty was an early, enthusiastic supporter of the Chinese Garden. We are grateful to the Miller Foundation for support that will help bring the vision for the Garden into bloom.
The arrival of the artisans and resumption of construction herald a busy summer for the Garden. We need lots of volunteers to help in many ways — on weekdays, weekends, for specific events, regularly for a few hours a week, or as much time as you wish to give. A great benefit of volunteering is the chance for inside looks at construction progress.
Please let us know if you would like to assist with any of the following opportunities:
• Office support for mailings, data entry, other computer tasks, or info inquiries.
• Be a part of the welcoming committee to plan for hospitality for the artisans.
• Train to become a site guide to assist docents in leading tours of construction.
• Publicity or fundraising activities.
• Event planning and execution.
We are delighted that John Curley, former host ofTV's Evening Magazine, will be the auctioneer for the November 10 benefit dinner. Curley has earned rave reviews at other events for his lively and fun approach to auctioneering. Join us to enjoy the action and a delicious Chinese banquet.
You could earn kudos as the winning bidder for a vacation getaway as close as Decatur Island or as far as Tuscany. Or take home a stone lantern for your garden, a work of art for your wall, fine wines, or one of more than two dozen wonderful items and experiences. And, you could win a live auction item without even raising your bid card! If your name is drawn as winner of the Golden Raffle, you have first choice among a wide selection of items before the bidding even begins.
If your pockets aren’t quite deep enough for a live auction item, you can get in on the action during the wine and restaurant frenzies. And, during the champagne reception, everyone who purchases a $25 red envelope will take home one of dozens of gift certificates or treasures valued from $25 to $200. It’s a win-win for guests and the Garden.
We’d love to count you in. Make your reservations by October 23 and help us open the gate to Knowing the Spring Courtyard in 2010.
Additional details and a reservation link are posted here, or call the office at 206.764.5219.
We’ve been ramping up our efforts this year, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of all the volunteers and donors who continue to support our Garden mission. Thank you all! It is fantastic to see the level of commitment and effort that people from our community and beyond, and from China, are investing in this project to build relations and broaden our cultural understanding.
Our financial condition continues to be a challenge, but we have taken significant steps to cut costs and restructure to manage in a down economy. Most recently, we moved our office to the Chan Education Center at the Garden site – a wonderful change that strengthens our collaboration with South Seattle Community College and brings visitors and volunteers closer to the project.
Now, our sights are set on three key areas: building our board strength by bringing on talented leaders from the corporate and nonprofit sectors, building stronger community relations and educational partnerships, and completing fundraising to open Knowing the Spring Courtyard.
Holly Cofer and Jenny Guan are generously volunteering their time to help us with some of these goals. We continue to draw a pool of incredibly enthusiastic and skilled individuals to our project.
This busy year has flown by, and our biggest event is now in sight — the November 10 Benefit Dinner and Auction. Plan to join us at the Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant (more details here) for a great dinner, recognition for Charlene and Jerry Lee and Cisco Systems, and bidding on terrific auction items.
I hope to see you there, and thanks to all of you for your continued support,
A long-time friend of the Garden surprised us recently with the generous donation of an impressive dragon boat that was built in China. A traditional boat made of catalpa and pine, it features a dragon’s head and tail, and is the style of boat common in Hunan and Hubei provinces, and also seen in Chongqing and Sichuan. The boat is in pristine condition, as it was never raced in China.
We would love to display this beautiful boat on the Seattle Chinese Garden’s lake — but that is still a vision of the master plan. Its design is not suitable for racing in North America, but perhaps we can find this boat a new home somewhere in the region, or elsewhere on the West Coast. It would be a dramatic addition to a museum, cultural center, Chinese Garden, corporate lobby, large Chinese Restaurant, or private, waterfront home. Sale of this boat also would help raise funds for the Garden. If you have suggestions for us, please send them to: info@seattlechinesegarden.org.
Thank you to Charlie Ragan and Chen Ragen Company for donating this amazing boat.
A cozy tea party warmed up a chilly day for members of the Boeing Garden Club and Boeing Asian American Professional Association (BAAPA) on Saturday, September 19.
President of the board, Jon Geiger, speaks to members of the Boeing Garden Club and BAAPA before tea.
Almost 40 members of the north and south Boeing Garden Clubs and BAAPA visited to learn about the garden project and see the site. Prior to the tour, they sampled the fragrant teas provided by Black Dragon Tea Bar. Board president Jon Geiger gave a brief talk about his involvement with the Boeing Company and the Garden, and docent Judy Koenig introduced attendees to the cultural history of Chinese gardens through a riveting slideshow. A guided tour of Knowing the Spring Courtyard construction and the garden site capped off the group’s visit.
The group learns about plans for Knowing the Spring Courtyard from docent Lorraine Toly and development director Adrian Soucek.
Although the monthly docent tours are over for the season, special tours for groups can be arranged throughout the year. Contact us at info@seattlechinesegarden.org for more information.
More than 100 visitors from near and far joined our monthly Saturday morning docent tours. They watched a slide presentation on the magic of Chinese gardens, learned about Chinese plants in the South Seattle Community College Arboretum, toured the construction of Knowing the Spring Courtyard, and enjoyed the garden at Song Mei Pavilion. In addition to regularly scheduled tours, docents introduced garden clubs, civic groups, and students from grade school up to college age to the garden project.
Thank you to docent program coordinator Judy Koenig and docents Sandy Marvinney, Leeh McArthur, Anne Potter, Margaret Rothchild, Lorraine Toly, Dewey Webster, and Jan Whitner for continuing to engage and inspire our visitors.
Please contact us to arrange a private docent tour.
Nobie Chan speaks to her friends and colleagues at her retirement party.
Seattle Community College District trustee Nobie Chan
celebrated her retirement with friends and colleagues on September 10 at the Judge Warren and Nobie Chan Education Center. Prior to
the party, the Chans and many of their family members took an impromptu
hard-hat tour of the garden site with Jim Dawson, vice president of the
SCG Board of Directors.
During her farewell remarks, Mrs. Chan described how
Jerry Brockey, a former SSCC president, assigned her the task of
figuring out what to do with the six undeveloped acres at the north end
of the college site. She determined that the tract would be the perfect
location for the Seattle Chinese Garden. Thank you, Nobie!
Throughout the history of the Seattle Chinese Garden, we have been fortunate that so many dedicated and enthusiastic contributors, volunteers, and leaders have chosen to give to the Garden in some way. These days, everyone is looking for ways to “stretch” their money. Here are a few ideas:
Company matching: More than 1,000 companies and foundations in the United States match their employees' gifts to qualified non-profit organizations such as SCG. Under corporate matching gift programs, cash gifts are matched with company or corporate foundation funds.
Click here for a list of companies that we know match donations. If your employer participates in donation matching but is not listed, or has discontinued this program, please contact us at info@seattlechinesegarden.org.
Volunteer hours matching: Many local and national companies recognize volunteer work through the donation of cash grants to nonprofit organizations at which their employees volunteer. This means that, for every hour of your time, your employer may donate money to SCG. Click here for a list of companies that we know match volunteer hours. If your employer participates in volunteer hours matching but is not listed, or has discontinued this program, please contact us at info@seattlechinesegarden.org.
MissionFish: Through MissionFish, eBay users are able to donate to registered nonprofit organizations when they sell items. You don’t need to register a separate account with MissionFish, just choose to donate a percentage (10-100%) of the final sale price to a nonprofit registered with MissionFish. Some processing fees apply. See our MissionFish page here.
Finally, if you'd like to attend our benefit dinner on November 10 but are concerned about the price tag, please consider volunteering your time to help us make this event a success. Please email us or call the
office at 206.764.5219 to lend a hand.
Yangming Chu, our executive director for the past year, has been instrumental to the Garden because of his extensive background in garden design and construction. He has played a large role in managing our organization’s relations with our contractors and the Municipality of Chongqing, and personally oversaw the first phase of construction of Knowing the Spring Courtyard.
While we are in a construction pause as we await the arrival of the Chinese artisans, Mr. Chu has left the Society to work on other endeavors in the art field. We are certain that he will bring to his current ventures the same dedication and expertise that has made him such an incredible asset to our ambitious project.
We hope to welcome Mr. Chu back in 2010 when construction resumes on the final phase of the Knowing the Spring Courtyard.
Catherine Roach and Theola Eng have earned our gratitude for their years of service as members of Seattle Chinese Garden Society board. Catherine’s contributions of time, ideas, and financial support helped moved this project to higher levels of achievement. We especially thank her for continually advocating the importance of this project to serious gardeners and to civic-minded friends who recognize its value for an underserved area of the City of Seattle. Theola provided countless hours of governance and financial consulting. Please join the society board and staff members in extending thanks and best wishes to Catherine and Theola.
The SCGS is pleased to announce two new office volunteers, Holly Cofer and Jenny Guan.
Holly Cofer has experience working in Seattle’s non-profit community, including positions with the Safeco Insurance Foundation, Seattle Repertory Theater, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the American Lung Association. She is now taking a course for project management certification. Holly will focus on developing and managing a broad fundraising plan.
Jenny Guan is from originally from Harbin and earned an engineering degree from the Northwestern Polytechnical University in Xi'an. Her work experience includes a design engineer/manager position with the Shenyang Aircraft Design & Research Institute and a project planning engineer/integration management position with Harbin Embraer Aircraft. Jenny became a certified project management professional (PMP) in 2008 and, after studying business management at Edmonds Community College, is planning to pursue an MBA degree. Jenny will serve on the Garden’s Communications committee and help develop a comprehensive communications plan.
The leaves are changing colors, which means it’s time for another garden cleanup party! Join us on November 1 from 1-4 pm to do some weeding and general maintenance of the garden before winter hits.
There are blackberries on site so weather appropriate yard work/garden clothing and gloves are recommended. Please bring any extra tools you have available - wheel barrows, shovels, rakes, clippers, weed eaters, etc.
The garden site is located adjacent to the arboretum at the South Seattle Community College at 6000 16th Avenue SW, with access from the north parking lot entrance. Please RSVP via email to volunteer@seattlechinesegarden.org or call the office at 206.764.5219.
November 10: Benefit Dinner & Auction
Let’s open the gate to Knowing the Spring Courtyard. Join us for a festive Chinese banquet hosted by Christine and Omar Lee at Imperial Garden Seafood Restaurant.
Enjoy a fun event while bringing us many steps closer to opening the garden gate to the public in late summer 2010.
We also honor Cisco Systems, Inc. for their “Connecting Sichuan” earthquake relief initiative and Charlene and Jerry Lee (MulvannyG2 Architecture) for their outstanding support to our community.
Please click here for more information and to register.
Calling all volunteers! We need your help to make this event a success.
Please email us or call the
office at 206.764.5219 to lend a hand.
Asia in Focus at SAAM
Deepen your understanding of Asia through an exciting new lecture series. This fall SAM’s new Center for Asian Art and Ideas, in collaboration with University of Washington faculty, presents a 10-week lecture series focused on India, China, and Japan. China lectures are October 24, 31, and November 7 at the Volunteer Park facility.
Horticulturalist and author Jan Whitner speaks at the Hansville Garden Club meeting on January 13.
She will discuss the differences between traditional Chinese and Japanese gardens and the implications of their designs. Jan is a member of the Seattle Chinese Garden board and chairs the Horticulture Committee.
We’ve been ramping up our efforts this year, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of all the volunteers and donors who continue to support our Garden mission. Thank you all! It is fantastic to see the level of commitment and effort that people from our community and beyond, and from China, are investing in this project to build relations and broaden our cultural understanding.
President of the board, Jon Geiger, speaks to members of the Boeing Garden Club and BAAPA before tea.
The group learns about plans for Knowing the Spring Courtyard from docent Lorraine Toly and development director Adrian Soucek. 
Yangming Chu, our executive director for the past year, has been instrumental to the Garden because of his extensive background in garden design and construction. He has played a large role in managing our organization’s relations with our contractors and the Municipality of Chongqing, and personally oversaw the first phase of construction of Knowing the Spring Courtyard.
