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KCAL Insurance Agency

Face Masks Donated to Arcadia Unified by Community Leaders

by KCALNewsroom

Nearly 150K Face Masks Donated to Arcadia Unified

Arcadia, CA – As schools reopen post-pandemic, Arcadia City Councilmember Paul P. Cheng and local leaders stepped up to support students and staff. On March 24, they donated nearly 150,000 face masks to the Arcadia Unified School District, ensuring a safer return to classrooms.

The donation was made possible by prominent community figures, including:

  • Yong Zhang, President, Chinese American CEO Organization
  • Kenny Chang, L.A. County Insurance Commissioner & KCAL Insurance Agency President
  • Representatives from Arcadia Unified School District: Kay Kinsler, Lee Chavez, Raymond Cheung, Tony Barrios
  • Cindy Wu, El Monte Union High School District

School officials expressed deep gratitude for the community’s commitment to education and public health.

“Love is an action. Our school board members—who live and work in this community—demonstrate this daily by securing vital resources. School reopening is a community-wide priority: Providing safe learning environments protects our children’s wellbeing, gives parents confidence to return to work, and ultimately fuels both economic recovery and neighborhood development.” – Paul Cheng, Arcadia Councilmember
“For generations, Asian Americans have quietly contributed to our communities in countless ways. While our efforts have often gone unrecognized, the pandemic-era surge in anti-Asian violence compels us to speak out. We firmly believe education is the fundamental solution – only by instilling proper values in the next generation can we truly combat prejudice and reduce racial tensions. Today, we choose to stand visible in supporting safe, healthy learning environments, because protecting our children’s future requires action today.” –Yong Zhang, alongside community leaders and business representatives
Kenny Chang pointed out, “Our Chinese- American community stands ready to support whenever need arises—today’s donation is just the beginning. Through education, we will dismantle hate crimes at their roots. Together, we’re building a future where no child learns prejudice in their classroom.”
Raymond Cheung declared:
“A community is built by its people – and there’s no better way to give back than through education. While we’re eager to reopen schools fully, this can only happen with proper safety measures and collaborative support. These donated supplies are absolutely vital to our mission.”“‘We rise by lifting others’ – these community leaders and business representatives exemplify this ideal. Their generosity sets a powerful example for our next generation about civic responsibility and paying it forward.”

Paul P. Cheng expressed heartfelt appreciation

“To me, everyone who speaks English with an accent is a person of extraordinary courage. They made the bold choice to leave everything behind, come to America, and contribute meaningfully to our society. Their voices and actions make our community stronger.” – Paul P. Cheng

Several notable members of the Chinese American community and school districts attended the event, showing strong support for the cause:

  • Xiaofeng Xu, Co-President, Federation of Chinese American Associations of Southern California
  • Yantao Su, President, EDI Media (Eagle Dragon Media)
  • Simon Shao, President, Chinese American Federation of Southern California
  • Phoebe Chen, Chairwoman, United Federation of Chinese Associations of Southern California
  • Qiang Lu, Co-President, Federation of Chinese American Associations; President, U.S.-China Peace and Friendship Promotion Association
  • Gang Zhou, President, American Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce
  • Alan Yu, President, Lollicup
  • Jing Huang, President, Yunnan Association of Southern California
  • Jiaqi Hu, Deputy GM and Real Estate Development Manager, New World International USA
  • Shaogeng Lin, Deputy GM and Property Management Manager, New World International USA
  • Ben Zhang, Deputy GM, New World International USA

Their presence demonstrated unity, civic pride, and a shared goal of inspiring broader community engagement.