Houston Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce held its 2024 Spring BBQ event at Eldridge Park on Sunday, May 5th at 11:30 am. President Xu Shigang welcomed guests including leaders from local churches, director Wang Yingrong from the Overseas Chinese Education Center, deputy director Huang Yili, and Councilwoman Qiuqing Tan from Stanford City who won her third election. Nearly a hundred attendees, including chamber members, families, and Taiwanese friends, gathered to enjoy the festivities.
President Xu introduced new diplomats to the renowned Taiwanese business members for networking. He then announced the good news that senior member Qiuqing Tan won re-election as councilwoman with 71% of the votes, a remarkable feat given the scarce Chinese voters in the district. Tan is the first Chinese councilwoman to win three consecutive terms, a proud representation of the Taiwanese community. She expressed gratitude to her supporters within the chamber for their encouragement and cited the chamber’s motto “Fight to Win” as her motivation.
Director Wang praised the chamber as one of the most influential organizations in the southern US, facilitating various activities each year to foster Taiwan-US diplomatic relations. She expressed gratitude on behalf of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission for the dedication of past presidents and members in running the chamber effectively. Wang took the opportunity to promote the upcoming “Presidential Inauguration Concert” on May 18 at the Overseas Chinese Education Center and assist with applications for the iOverseas Card and app downloads during the gathering.
During the event, attendees savored exclusive homemade sauces by the well-known duo Zhou Zhengxian and Lv Mingxue from the chamber, while Lee Legang, the enthusiastic general manager of Wei-Chuan Houston, sponsored beverages. The culinary team prepared a variety of dishes including lettuce salad, potato salad, and buns, with three large grills manned by Zhou Zhengxian, former president Zhang Yuanli, committee member Lin Shuxian, and Zhang Shuren handling the BBQ ribs, chicken legs, and pork chops.
Despite unstable weather with early flood and rain alerts, the skies cleared by 10 am, prompting the group to proceed with the event as scheduled. Participants enjoyed a delightful BBQ lunch gathering. As the event drew to a close, sudden rain prompted President Xu and the organizing team to advise everyone to head home safely.
The Houston Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce’s Spring BBQ event not only fostered community bonds but also celebrated the achievements of its members and supporters. It exemplified the strong Taiwanese presence in the local community, showcasing unity and resilience in the face of challenges.