AYLUS Rancho Cucamonga Branch Volunteers at 2023 WALNUT MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL on 09/30/2023 and 10/01/2023

AYLUS Rancho Cucamonga Branch Volunteers at 2023 WALNUT MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL on 09/30/2023 and 10/01/2023

On the weekend of September 30th and October 1st, 2024, 29 members of the AYLUS RC Branch participated in the 2023 Walnut Mid-Autumn Festival held at Mt. San Antonio College. This marked our branch’s second time participating in this large-scale Mid-Autumn Festival celebration organized by PANANA. We were honored to secure a complimentary booth to promote and introduce our volunteer organization, AYLUS, recruit new members, and conduct on-site fundraising. The proceeds from the fundraising will be allocated to the membership funds for various future branch activities.

This was a two-day celebration primarily dedicated to the traditional Chinese festival of Mid-Autumn Festival. Despite the weather not being ideal on the 30th, starting off overcast and eventually raining in the afternoon, making it damp and chilly, our spirits remained high, and not a single member left their post. There were also many other booths representing various Asian countries, showcasing their local cuisine and culture. As the primary volunteer providers for the event, we were involved in all aspects of the activities, from the early stage of stage setup, booth allocation, coordination, to on-site ticket sales, ticket checking, maintaining order in the children’s play area, and managing the sequence of stage performances. Additionally, some members stayed at our own booth to promote our fundraising products.

Throughout the two days of the event, there was a massive turnout, with a significant presence of Chinese attendees. We were able to leverage our language skills in both Chinese and English to effectively communicate with everyone. Our nail products were particularly popular, with over 50 sets sold on the first day alone. Face painting was also in high demand, and all other fundraising items experienced good sales. We were thrilled by the success of the event, and the atmosphere was lively. We had the opportunity to indulge in a variety of Asian cuisines in the food area, enjoy performances such as sugar blowing, and even rent or purchase traditional Chinese Hanfu for photoshoots.

It had been a while since we experienced such excitement, and we were grateful to have the chance to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in such a festive atmosphere. Over the two days, we raised over $600 through our fundraising efforts, a source of great pride for all of us. Despite the exhaustion that comes with organizing such a large-scale event and managing various aspects, we were proud of our ability to make it a success. We look forward to continuing to host such fantastic events in the future.

The detailed volunteer hours for each member over the two days are as follows: