Honorary Board Members Intersect at Dancing with the Stars

For the second time this year, Hines Ward, of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Apl.de.ap, of the Black Eyed Peas, were together at the same venue, only this time they had the pleasure of meeting each other.

In Super Bowl XLV, while Hines Ward and the Steelers were competing against the Green Bay Packers, the Black Eyed Peas performed in the half time show. Because they both serve as Honorary Board Members and are strong supporters of Pearl S. Buck International because of their similar background (they are both biracial with Asian mothers and African American fathers), they hoped to meet each other - but didn't have the opportunity to do so. So it was a great pleasure for them to meet on the set of Dancing with the Stars the night Hines Ward and Kym Johnson received the Mirror Ball Trophy as the best dancers on the show. 

In the Semi-Finals of Dancing with the Stars, Hines Ward honored two of Pearl S. Buck International's "Fatherland Tour" program participants, a program that Ward sponsors every year.  The two program participants, both girls, visited the United States as part of the program on two occasions which encouraged them to enroll in community college in Spokane, Washington.  One of the girls, Jamie, always dreamed of being a ballroom dancer. Through a grant from Hines Ward's Helping Hands Fund, the girls flew into LA and enjoyed the show and dinner with Hines Ward, Kym Johnson, and Pearl S. Buck International's President and CEO, Janet Mintzer. 

Leave it to Hines to be thinking of Pearl S. Buck International and the young people in our program while he is completing in Dancing with the Stars.  He has a heart of gold and is 1st place in our hearts too.

Honorary Board Member Hines Ward Needs Your Vote on Dancing With the Stars

Fans of Pearl S. Buck International who also enjoy following ABC's Dancing With The Stars have been in for a double treat as one of our honorary board members, Hines Ward, has made it to the final three on ABC's hit show.

Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a strong advocate for biracial and multicultural children living in Korea. Since Super Bowl XL, he has sponsored “fatherland” programs through Pearl S. Buck International for these children to visit the United States. Ward also received the 2010 United Nations Positive Peace Award based on Pearl S. Buck International’s nomination.

We have been supporting Ward throughout his ten-week reign of success on Dancing With The Stars, and we encourage everyone to vote for him in the final battle for the mirror ball trophy tonight at 8:00 p.m. on ABC!

Additionally, during the grand finale at 8:00 p.m.Tuesday night, The Black Eyed Peas will perform their new single, ‘Don’t Stop the Party'. This is another special moment for Pearl S. Buck International because of our connection with the Black Eyed Peas' Apl.de.ap. Apl is another honorary board member who was a beneficiary of our Opportunity House Child Sponsorship program as a child in the Philippines.

This is the second time in four months that Hines Ward and Apl.de.ap will share a national stage (the first time was Superbowl XLV, when the Peas played the halftime show for the Steelers and Packers) and we don't think it's a coincidence.

Please tune in and support both of our honorary board members on the final episodes of Dancing With The Stars!

Dreams really do come true...

I asked her what role Pearl S. Buck International played in her success today. Without hesitation and with a firm conviction in her voice, she said “everything…”

Saowalack was abandoned by her American father, and her mother, a teenager, left her to go find work. Her grandmother raised her along with seven cousins, in a cramped slum dwelling in Thailand.

In her own words: “Because I was of mixed race, people would stare at me and my grandmother walking down the street and say why does she look like that? Children would torture me for my looks. They pulled my hair, flipped my skirt…they made it very painful for me…I had to fight…I had no friends.”

But she had her grandmother, the strongest person she knew...

 ...and her grandmother had Pearl S. Buck International.

 Her grandmother enrolled her in Pearl S. Buck International's child sponsorship program, and along with her American child sponsors, would constantly encourage her…“do not be afraid…you are someone…you are strong” they would tell her……and they were right.

Deep down inside she had an immeasurable strength…a strength that would help her stay focused on her studies and on her true gift of creativity. “She would draw pictures constantly – and she was really good” recall her sponsors. With the help of Pearl S. Buck International, her grandmother and the encouragement of her child sponsors, she received A’s and B’s in school and was accepted into a top fashion design program.

Today – that tiny little girl – born into poverty, abandoned by her parents, and whose spirit was crushed on a daily basis – is a Director of Technical Design at one of the world’s leading fashion design companies in New York City.

Recently, she visited Pearl S. Buck International with her husband and child sponsors, Bill and Sharon. During their visit, they told us their story – and they asked us to convey a very special message to you…

They want you to know that whether you are one of our committed child sponsors, individual donors, or you are considering helping children for the first time while reading this blog entry…”your commitment changes lives…Saowalak’s story shows you that Pearl S. Buck International’s makes a real difference.”

I asked Saowalak what she would say to children, who, like her, face daily discrimination today because they are “different.” Once again, without hesitation and with a firm conviction in her voice, she said: “Dream. Your dream will come true. You have incredible strength. Don’t ever give up. It is hard, it is difficult, but I have found that I am someone…and so are you. I hope you will never give up.”

Pearl S. Buck International will never give up.

We will never give up Opening Doors of Opportunity for children in need.

But we cannot do it alone. We need your help. Together, we can help more children not only dream – but we can make their dreams come true. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution that will give more children – who are dreaming of a better life right now – a chance to succeed.

Thank you so much for your partnership on behalf of all the children we serve. I sincerely appreciate your generous support.

Gratefully,
Anthony M. Luna
Vice President of Relationship Development
Pearl S. Buck Internaitonal
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/
tluna@pearlsbuck.org

P.S. - You can also share this link www.pearlsbuck.org/dream with others who want to make a difference.  Thank you.