The Northern California Tamkang University Alumni Association held its annual summer barbecue event at Rainbow Park in San Jose on August 17th (last Sunday), attracting over a hundred alumni and their families. The event featured an abundance of delicious food, diverse performances, creating a lively and warm atmosphere, making it a significant annual gathering for the alumni.
Prepared meals for the day included prime rib, Korean BBQ, chicken wings, chicken legs, vegetable skewers, braised eggs, grilled corn, vegetarian burgers, and more. There were also almond peanut sweet soup, mung bean soup, fresh fruits, various beverages, and home-cooked dishes prepared by the alumni themselves.
During the dining process, President Lin Fengjiao personally distributed braised eggs and salad, while some alumni helped distribute grilled skewers, children handed out Fortune Cookies, and finally, some alumni served up refreshing watermelon, making the scene heartwarming and lively.
The event featured singing performances, line dancing, fun competitions, birthday celebrations, and raffles, with a special addition of mobile app tutorials demonstrating how to quickly generate and share QR codes and use Line App skills, allowing elders to learn practical new knowledge. After enjoying a hearty meal, the alumni indulged in singing and dancing to happy music throughout the afternoon until 3 o’clock, with spirits still high.
In addition, Xie Zaoxun, President of the Northern California College Alumni Association, led a group to participate and perform on stage, injecting more popularity and joy into the Tamkang event.
President Lin Fengjiao said that the purpose of the Tamkang Alumni Association’s summer gatherings is to let everyone “eat to their heart’s content and enjoy themselves.” She thanked over ten former presidents for attending, adding luster to the event. She emphasized that besides fostering friendships, the event also serves the elderly and shares new knowledge.
Former President Chen Song sponsored 25 members of the College Alumni Association to participate in the event. He looked back on how since its founding in 1990, the alumni association has grown strong, mentioning that the early-established “Tamkang Drum Corps” had performed at various important events in the Bay Area, including the National Games and flag-raising ceremonies, always showing up without fail.
Former President Jiang Ling hosted the program performances of the day, stressing that the association’s board members quietly contributed before and after the event, from food preparation, onsite hosting, performance boosting, to post-event cleanup, all wholeheartedly serving the alumni to ensure the smooth success of the event.
Lin Fengjiao expressed her gratitude to the team’s efforts, leading to the event receiving widespread acclaim, with many praising it as having “the most abundant food and the most exciting programs.” She emotionally stated, “The most important thing is to make everyone feel ‘at home’ when they come to the alumni association. Tamkang people have always been generous and eager to bring happiness to others. This is the purpose of our hard work.”
In addition to hosting summer barbecues, annual meetings, and health seminars, the Northern California Tamkang Alumni Association actively participates in Bay Area events such as dragon boat festivals and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations.
Currently, there are over a hundred active Tamkang alumni in the Bay Area, with a total of about two to three hundred people of all ages coming together to enjoy, creating a heartwarming and touching scene.