The Chinese American Service League, Inc. (CASL) honored U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao as the 2003 recipient of the League's prestigious Golden Lion Award tonight in the Crystal Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The League and this year's Corporate Dinner Chair, Anthony V. Sisto, President of the Illinois Division of Charter One Bank, presented the award to Bob Athey, accepting on behalf of the Secretary, at CASL's 14th Annual Corporate Dinner Benefit, which was attended by approximately 550 people. The Secretary also sent a message by videotape to tonight's audience. Themed, "We're the One for You: Then, Now and Into the Future," this year's gala was co-emceed by Nesita Kwan, anchor/reporter, NBC 5 Chicago; Nancy Loo, anchor/reporter, FOX CHICAGO TV; and Linda Yu, anchor/reporter ABC 7, and chair of CASL's Advisory Board.
The Corporate Dinner is CASL's largest fundraising event, raising nearly $300,000 and attracting over 500 top business leaders. This year the celebration is especially significant, marking the start of both CASL's and Charter One Bank's 25th anniversary of service to the community. Bernie Lee, Co-Chair of the CASL Capital Campaign, reported that with this month's CASL Radiothon (May 2) raising over $100,000, the Capital Campaign goal of $ 9.15 million has now been achieved. With the successful conclusion of The Capital Campaign, CASL tonight launched The 25th Anniversary Fund, which will be specifically dedicated to reducing bond debt used to finance part of the Capital Campaign, ensuring for CASL a long-term financial future. Raymond M. Chin, Co-Chair of the CASL Capital Campaign, and president of R.M. Chin & Associates, Inc., whose firm has provided project management services for the build-out of the new community center, reported that the Center is expected to be dedicated early next year. In other exciting news, the League announced an historic individual major gift pledged to CASL in the amount of $1,000,000 from highly successful Bridgeport-based realtors Kam and Sadie Liu, of Kam L. Liu & Co. The Lius have built their business based in the Chinatown community, and were motivated to share some of their fortune with the community.
Founded in 1978, the Chinese American Service League (CASL) is the Midwest's largest and most comprehensive social service agency of its type. With a budget of $5.7 million, CASL's 190 dedicated bilingual and bicultural staff and 300 volunteers annually serve over 14,000 clients. The CASL is a United Way social service agency located in the heart of Chicago's Chinatown.
Charter One Financial (NYSE: CF) has approximately $39 billion in total assets, making it one of the 25 largest bank holding companies in the country. The Bank has 461 branch locations in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The Company's diverse product set includes: consumer banking, indirect auto finance, commercial leasing, business lending, commercial real estate lending, mortgage banking, and retail investment products. (Source: Irene Cualoping, ENERI Communications, LLC)