[SV] Vision Festival
The Vision Festival held by Hwarang Youth Foundation Silicon Valley on Sunday, February 25, was a significant event for the Hwarang Silicon Valley District. Dedicated to promoting and funding cataract and eye surgeries for communities in Guatemala and other areas, the annual festival serves as a gathering where various chapters within the Silicon Valley District convene to celebrate their accomplishments over the past year. The event welcomed distinguished guests alongside over 130 members from the Hwarang SV District. Among the esteemed attendees were Sarah Park, the President of Hwarang Youth Foundation; Jonathan Kim, President of SF Bay Area Korea Center & 김진덕 정경식 재단; Jung Seung Duk, President of the Korean American Journalists Association; Kevin Park, Vice Mayor of Santa Clara; Rosa Kim, Trustee of FUHSD & Vice President of Asian American Parents Association; and David Lee, Co-President of K GROUP. To introduce the festival, the main MC’s Dohyun Yang, District Chairperson, and Eunsu Cho, District Vice Chairperson, each gave short introductions and played the National Anthems of both South Korea and the United States of America. Following this, we were welcomed to touching opening speeches given by Sarah Park and Madison Park, Hwarang Youth Foundation Summit Chair, who gave her speech through video. Immediately following, there were two inspiring guest speeches given by Jonathan Kim and Jung Seung Duk. Following the conclusion of the speeches, the official beginning of the Vision Festival was marked by an exciting lineup of performances. The Hwarang members and special guests eagerly watched as the festivities began with Cupertino Chapter's captivating performance titled "Hwarang's Flowering Knights." This engaging act, featuring a combination of a skit and K-Pop dancing, filled the venue with amusement and laughter, setting a vibrant tone for the event. Afterwards, members from Dublin Chapter took to the stage to showcase their dynamic talent with an energetic K-Pop dance cover of the 1990s hit song, "Candy" by H.O.T. Their enthusiastic performance captivated the audience and added to the festive atmosphere of the event. Following Dublin’s performance, Altos Chapter showcased their Chapter performance, Pororo Helps the Homeless, a comedic skit about the popular Korean cartoon character Pororo (뽀로로). Lastly, Saratoga Chapter prepared a moving musical ensemble performance of the Korean song 당신은 사랑받기 위해 태어난 사람. Their rendition not only showcased their musical talents but also incorporated sign language, adding a profound layer of emotion and inclusivity to their performance. As the performances wrapped up, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as the first raffle of the evening began. Steering the event were the MCs, Elena Kim, the District Secretary, and Brandon Lee, the president of Cupertino Chapter. The raffle tickets, bought previously by participants, were a large portion of the funding for Guatemala and the eyecamps. With an enticing array of prizes awaiting lucky winners, ranging from coveted Apple Airpods to valuable $200 Amazon Gift Cards, the raffle presented an opportunity for attendees to not only enjoy the festivities but also engage actively in supporting the charitable cause of the event. As the first half of the Vision Festival drew to a close, the attendees were treated to three inspiring speeches that left a lasting impact on all present. First, Kevin Park took the stage to deliver a heartfelt and motivational speech to the members of the Hwarang Youth Foundation Silicon Valley. Following Park was an educational speech given by Rosa Kim, which engaged the audience and made a lasting impression. Lastly, David Lee took the stage to share his insights and experiences, rounding out the trio of inspiring speeches at the Vision Festival. Following the series of inspiring speeches, the Vision Festival transitioned into an informative segment featuring presentations from both the Written by Junghyo Choi (SV District PR) District Officers and the various chapters and committees involved in the Hwarang Youth Foundation Silicon Valley. The District Officers took the lead, providing a comprehensive overview of the volunteering events that had taken place earlier in the year. Their presentations highlighted the impact of these events, showing the Foundation's commitment to community service and the differences made through their collective efforts. Subsequently, the officers from each chapter —Cupertino, Altos, Saratoga, San Jose, and Dublin—took the stage to share their respective contributions and accomplishments. The committees—Media, Art, Global Links, and IT—showed presentations of a similar format as well. Following these presentations were the presentations of the Hwarang Leadership Awards. These awards recognized individuals who had demonstrated exceptional leadership and made significant contributions to the Hwarang Youth Foundation Silicon Valley throughout the months of December, January, and February. The members honored with this award were Stella Cho, the president of Saratoga Chapter, Seohoo Lee, the president of San Jose Chapter, and Sarah Joe, the president of Global Links Committee. Afterwards, there were more chapter performances, firstly given by Dublin Chapter. They played a musical ensemble of the song “Permission to Dance” by BTS. This lively remake pleasantly added a vibrant atmosphere to the festival, and left the audience enthralled. As the last of the chapter performances at the Vision Festival, San Jose Chapter took the stage with an electrifying K-Pop dance cover of the iconic song "Tell Me" by Wonder Girls, bringing a sense of nostalgia and joy to the audience. To close out the Vision Festival on a high note, MCs Eunjoon Hong, president of Altos Chapter, and Siwoo Lee, District Systems Manager, took the stage to announce the highly anticipated second and final raffle of the night. With an even greater array of prizes than before, the excitement in the room grew as attendees eagerly awaited the drawing of numbers. Once the raffle reached an end and everyone received their prizes, Chairperson Dohyun Yang wrapped it up with a touching closing speech and finally called in everybody for a wholesome group photo. The Vision Festival by Hwarang Youth Foundation Silicon Valley was a dynamic showcase of community service and dedication, uniting members and guests in celebration of efforts towards positive change and hope for the people in need of eye surgeries in Guatemala.
Written by Junghyo Choi
(SV District PR)
