Happy New Year!
The 7th Annual Lunar Ball, Chicago’s largest fundraiser for Asian American young professionals and friends, will be held on Saturday, March 7th at the Chicago History Museum. On behalf of the Lunar Ball Committee, we invite you to support community development and education by attending Lunar Ball 2015.
This year, we expect a crowd of 500+ of Chicago’s most accomplished and involved young professionals to fill the Chicago History Museum for an evening of fun, food, and networking. The event will include tastings from Chicago’s top restaurants, adult beverages all night, performances, multiple DJs, raffle, and silent auction.
There’s no better time than the Year of the Ram to meet new friends and professional contacts. The event sells out every year, so buy your tickets today!
Festivities Include
- Top Restaurants
- Photo Booth
- Performances
- Live DJs
- Silent Auction
- Adult Beverages All Night
Thank you for making Lunar Ball 2015 our biggest and best year yet with over 450 attendees!
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Past Lunar Ball Highlights
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Chicago History Museum
1601 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60614
This year’s event will be held at the Chicago History Museum which cares for, showcases, and interprets millions of authentic pieces of Chicago and U.S. history. In addition to the museum’s elegant ballrooms, attendees will have unlimited access to the iconic Crossroad Exhibit which features Chicago’s very first “L” car (from 1893).
Located in Lincoln Park, the Chicago History Museum stands at the crossroads of America’s past and its future and is the city’s oldest cultural institution. If you live in Chicago or visit here and are curious about the city’s past, present, and future, the Museum should be your first stop.
For more information, visit www.chicagohistory.org.
Anticipated Highlights
500+
Attendees
10,000+
Diverse Chicagoland young professionals connected through email and social media
20+
Community organizations collaborating to produce Lunar Ball
$40,000
Fundraising goal for charity with your support
Performers
Loreen Targos
EMCEE
Loreen Targos is a performer with Stir Friday Night, an Asian-American non-profit theatre company celebrating their 20th anniversary this year! She has studied improvisation at Second City and Annoyance Theater and studied acting at Black Box in Chicago. Loreen has a strong professional background in Chicago fair housing and public health issues and would like to thank the lead paint industry for keeping her work relevant in 2015. She’s on twitter at @LoTargos.
DJ JayFunk
ON THE TURNTABLES
DJ JayFunk has been rocking events and tearing down walls since peanut butter met jelly. Representing Chicago, IL, he’s performed events in New York, Las Vegas, Miami, Honolulu, Manila and Los Angeles to name a few. JayFunk showcases every weekend on the #1 station in Chicago, 103.5 Kiss FM and is the official Chicago Bulls In Game DJ. Jay Funk has opened for legendary acts such as The B-52’s, Rob Base and DJ Easy Roc, Grammy winner DJ Jazzy Jeff and was DJ for Snoop Dogg’s 2000 Birthday Bash. JayFunk has been nominated for Midwest DJ of the Year 5 years in a row by Sinternet.com.
Auri Kawalia
SINGER/SONGWRITER – VIP RECEPTION
Growing up in the Bay Area, Auri had many culture and musical influences. From taiko drums to SF/Oakland underground parties to Southbay house music, he immersed himself in the creation and performance of music. Now in Chicago, he continues his pursuit of audio knowledge and collaborative experiences. As the front man of an emerging group, The Entals,
he has worn many hats in the music industry. Tonight, Auri dons his favorite hat: singer/songwriter, as he showcases
original music from the upcoming album by The Entals.
Sally Moy & Flashburn
VOCAL/BEATBOX DUO
Sally Moy is an aspiring singer studying film and audio at Columbia College Chicago and loves to dance in her free
time. Sally was a 2014 Kollaboration Chicago finalist and hopes to stand on bigger stages in the future. Currently,
she volunteers with community projects such as HallyuCon Chicago, Kollaboration Chicago, and Lunar Ball!
Flashburn (Austin Chin) is a world renown beatboxer who has shot into the American Beatbox Battle rankings
due to his diverse library of sounds and styles. When not performing, you can find him making videos and attending
classes at Columbia College Chicago where he’s studying video game design.
The Lunar Heritage Ensemble
MUSICAL SPECIAL PROJECT
The Lunar Heritage Ensemble is a special project assembled for Lunar Ball 2015. Including leading musicians from the Chicago Asian American community, the Ensemble seeks to highlight the interface of progressive and traditional music.
Chicago saxophonist/composer Jeff Chan is dedicated to creating work that reflects an Asian American cultural perspective through music. With a discography of more than 10 recordings, he has performed across the US and in Europe and has
received awards from the Zellerbach Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council.
Byoung Sug Kim has played and taught pungmul Korean drumming for 25 years. He co-founded the Global Pungmul Institute (GPI) and serves as Executive Director & Artistic Director of GPI, a community organization dedicated to developing and promoting traditional Korean cultural and performing arts.
Korean traditional musician Suwan Choi is the Performance Director of Korean traditional performing arts troupe NanJang & Pan in Korea. As an Artist in Residence, Suwan visited Chicago in January and is currently teaching Korean drumming to Soribeat youth members at Global Pungmul Institute.
Paul Kay & Phil Myung
SINGER/SONGWRITER
Paul Kay is a soulful and passionate Korean American singer, songwriter, and a guitarist. Though he specializes in those areas, he learned to play other instruments so he can teach younger generations. He is the winner of Kollaboration Chicago’s 2014
Showcase and is excited to have performed at numerous events since, including Lunar Ball 2015! His music style is inspired by many old-school artists that hit home to his heart. Paul will be performing with his close friend Phil as his accompanist.
SoriBeat
KOREAN DRUMMING ENSEMBLE
SoriBeat is the youth pungmul (Korean drumming) ensemble presented by Global Pungmul Institute (GPI) — a community-based cultural and educational organization dedicated to developing and promoting traditional Korean cultural and performing arts and nurturing youth leadership. SoriBeat is composed of about 20 youth members aged 7 to 17. Drumming classes are held at Korean Cultural Center of Chicago in Wheeling. www.soribeat.org
Thep Nimmitt Dance Troupe
CAMBODIAN CULTURAL DANCE
The Thep Nimmitt Dance Troupe members come from The Cambodian Association of Illinois’s Arts & Cultural
Program. The cultural program has cultivated various forms of Cambodian culture into Chicago and Illinois for
over 15 years. The troupe performs dances from Cambodia consisting of three main categories: classical dance
of the Royal Court, folk dances which portray cultural traditions, and social dances performed in social gatherings.
Featured for this year’s Lunar Ball is a dance choreographed by Ms. Soth Somaly called “Robam Rasmey Duong
Chan (Moon Love Dance)”, which is an adaptation of a traditional Khmer classical dance.
Our Community Beneficiary
Giving Back to Chicagos Youths
All proceeds from Lunar Ball 2015 benefit charities including including our community beneficiary Project: VISION, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing youth in Chicago’s Bridgeport and Chinatown communities with the tools for educational, personal, and civic development.
It’s a common misconception that all Asian American students excel academically and have little need for tutoring, mentoring, and after school programs. In fact, many Asian American students come from underprivileged backgrounds and benefit from support for their academic and personal development.
Founded in 2003 by a small group of volunteers, Project: VISION has reached over 425 youths. 85% of the students Project: VISION serve are from low income families and most will be the first in their families to attend college.
Sponsors and Partnership
Special Thanks
Lunar Ball is not possible without the generous support of the following sponsors and partners:
Presenting
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Community Partners
Beverage
Tasting
Become a Sponsor or Partner
There are many different ways to support Lunar Ball 2015 and the Asian American community. Download a packet below for additional information about the various ways to get involved.
Silent Auction
Get ready to bid!
From airline tickets to fine art, there will be a variety of great silent auction items for Lunar Ball guests to compete for. Put your best price down and get that great deal while supporting charity!
- China Airlines – 1 Roundtrip Ticket to Taipei or Hong Kong from LAX
- Eva Air – 1 Roundtrip Ticket to Taipei or Hong Kong
- Boka Group – $100 Gift Card
- Japonais / Morimoto – $200 Gift Card
- East Bank Club – 2 Day Passes + $50 Restaurant Gift Card
- B–Squared Salon – 3 Men’s and 3 Women’s Haircuts
- Beoplay.com – Bang & Olufsen Headphones
- Shaw’s Crabhouse – $150 Gift Card
- Soul Cycle – $145 Class Card
- Universal Wellness Center – 4 Visits
- Chicago Cubs – 2 Game Tickets
- Skyy Level Fitness Studio
- Bloomingdales – $200 Purse
- Hotel Lincoln – 1 Night Stay
- JParker – $50 Gift Card
- Ellys Pancake House
- Weku Group – 4 iFlasks
- The Field Museum – 4 General Admission Tickets
- Brunch
- Zipbuds – Headphones
- Del Seoul – Gift Card
- I–fly Indoor Skydiving – For 2
- Broken Arrow Golf Club – Round of Golf for 4
- Cotton Brew Customs Suits – $500 Gift Card
- Anthony Poon – Artwork
- The Kitchen – $70 Gift Card
- Bop N Grill – $50 Gift Card
- Ultimate Air Shuttle – 2 Private Jet Tickets from Chicago to Cincinnati
- Ginza Steak and Seafood – 4 $50 Gift Cards
- Midwest Badminton – 2 One-Year Memberships with Coaching
- Koi Evanston – 4 $50 Gift Cards
- PRP Wine International, Inc. – $250 in Home Wine Tasting
- BottleNeck Management – $50 Gift Card
- Lettuce Entertain You – Beatrix and Paris Club Gift Cards
- Mott St. – Gift Card
- Bloomingdales (Jennifer Olgolby) – $200 Gift Card
- Lakeshore Sport & Fitness – 3-Month Membership
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra – 2 tickets for upcoming show (TBD)
- Big Shoulders Coffee – $50 Gift Card
- Yeowoosai – 5 $20 Gift Cards
- O2 Concepts – $100 Credit for Residential Interior Design
- O2 Concepts – $200 Credit for Special Event Design and Planning
- Knife & Tine – $100 Gift Card
- Cité – $200 Gift Card
- Burger Bar – $50 Gift Card
- Sono Wood Fired – $50 Gift Card
- Cheesecake Factory – $50 Gift Certificate
- Auvio – Portable Bluetooth speaker
- Ch Distillerery – Gift set 103 (Bottle of vodka, $50 gift card for distillery and bar, flask)
- Mandarin Rose Language Services – 5 Private Classes
- Bucktown Crossfit – 2 On-ramp Classes
- Vosges – Ensemble du Chocolat
- Saigon Sisters – Gift Card
- Pizano’s Pizza – Gift Card
- Parachute – Dinner for 2 with wine pairing
Planning Committee
The Lunar Ball Planning Committee team collaborates to organize Chicago’s largest Asian American cultural awareness, networking, and fundraising event. To learn more or volunteer for the committee, please email team@lunarball.org.
2015 Committee Directors
- EVENT CHAIR
Hauwei Lien - OPERATIONS
Amy Loo - VOLUNTEER
Cassie Zhang - EVENT DESIGN
Emily Keane - SILENT AUCTION
Ethan Hou - CREATIVE
Eric Liao - SPONSORSHIP
Grant Wu - OPERATIONS
James Lim - MARKETING
Joy Chang - FINANCE
Katherine Tien - MARKETING
Kevin Hsia - FOOD
Scott Cheng - PROGRAMMING
Victoria Ng - BEVERAGE
Winston Ma
2015 Committee Members
- Elaine Rau
- Erik Chea
- Jason Hsu
- Jeana Cheung
- Jeff Koh
- Joey Tse
- Jon Amadei
- Melissa Chung
- Mike Vu
- Nancy Rhyu
- Pamela Rose
- Pauline Glushko
- Sally Moy
- Sammi Chen
- Shota Sato
- Sophia Lee
- Sophie Wang
- Stephanie Chueh
- Tina Chu
- Tonee Dang
- Votey Cheav
- Yaya Scheda
The host committee supports Lunar Ball by raising awareness of the event in their communities and networks. To learn more about becoming a host or to join the committee, download the packet below:
2015 Host Committee
- Amy Loo
- Cassie Zhang
- Chris Stacey
- Emily Keane
- Erik Chea
- Ethan Hou
- Gabriel Wong
- Grant Wu
- Hauwei Lien
- James Lim
- Jeremy Johnson
- Joey Tse
- Joy Chang
- Karen Chiu
- Karen Hwang
- Katherine Tien
- King Leung
- Nancy Rhyu
- Nathan Cao
- Scott Cheng
- Sophie Wang
- Tina Chu
- Tonee Dang
- Victoria Ng
- Votey Cheav
- Winston Ma
Facebook Cover
Facebook Profile 1
Facebook Profile 2
WeChat Moments Cover
Digital Postcard
Join us at Y Bar Chicago to keep the party going ’til 3AM!
FREE express entry before midnight / $10 after
with Lunar Ball wristbands
$10 before midnight / $20 after
for friends without wristbands
