‘Turnout Great’ at Lunar New Year Event

An estimated 3,000 people showed up in Lacy Park on Saturday to attend the Chinese Club of San Marino’s celebration of the Lunar New Year.

The event was “a very positive step in bringing together our community after a really difficult time,” said Alan Chen, president of the Chinese Club of San Marino, the event’s main sponsor.

“I am very pleased,” Chen continued. “The weather and the turnout were great.”

The mass murders that took place in Monterey Park on the eve of Lunar New Year gave the committee justifiable concern about the event.

“The crowd was fantastic. There were a lot of people in attendance but it was not overcrowded. We had much smaller expectations but the crowd really showed up,” Chen continued.

Going way back, Chen can take credit for the event. Chen was a member of the city’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) Task Force, which spent more than two years meeting, according to fellow member Kelly Ryan. At the time, Chen was just stepping into the role of Chinese Club president.

Ryan said that the committee met in December and came up with the idea for the Lunar New Year event.

The entire event was planned in a month, Chen said.

“It was very well-organized,” he said. “There was a wide array of businesses and vendors who were there. There were some amazing performances. I think for a first effort it was amazing.”

And to think it almost didn’t get off the ground at all.

“We entertained some thought about not holding the event,” Chen said. “We had a difficult discussion about cancelling the event. At the end of the day, we felt that the city would assure it would be safe.”

Police Chief John Incontro made sure to see that all of the parking lots were locked and that there were an abundance of security measures in place.

“We also felt it was important to make a statement of celebrating our unity without fear of violence,” said Chen. “I think we were very fortunate.

“We saw so many community organizations and stakeholders in attendance,” Chen said. “We were very blessed. It was good to get the community connected again.

“It was the first time we did this so we didn’t know what to expect,” Chen added. There were a lot of PTA members and advisers from the Chinese Club of San Marino who were there. “It really was a community event. We are so thankful and happy. It was incredibly rewarding.”

Four local troops of Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts bolstered the attendance and Chen said he saw friends from as far away as Palos Verdes and Irvine.

There were two commercial sponsors for the event, USC Keck Hospital and Cathay Bank. Attendees had the choice of some 46 booths to turn to for food and refreshments.

“We are incredibly pleased with the outcome,” Chen said.

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