To all our beloved supporters, sponsors, family and friends, and most importantly to our QTPI community, we at UTOPIA Washington want to express our gratitude and love to you for helping to make our 2022 Lū’au the success that it was this year.
We are also thankful and deeply honored to have had the blessing of the Muckleshoot Tribe and Territory, granting us permission to be on their land as the original and rightful caretakers.
Muckleshoot Casino Resort graciously hosted and provided a safe space for us to gather, Martha Nguyen and their entire staff and team helped us to create an event beyond our wildest dreams. Thank you all for your hard work and for building alongside us to provide for our people.
To our Hibiscus sponsor:
•Group Health Foundation whose mission is to transform the balance of power to ensure equity and racial justice across Washington and beyond.
To our Bird of Paradise sponsors:
•Caddells Laser and Electrolysis Clinic who provides support and care to our Transgender community, Debbie and the team have a special place in their hearts for our community.
•Alaska Airlines for their continued support of our annual lūʻau and for donating 4 round trip tickets towards our raffle.
•Councilmember Dave Upthegrove whose goal is to center equity and community in everything he does by working hand-in-hand with local community leaders.
Wing Luke Museum who connects everyone to the dynnamic history, cultures, and art of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islaners through vivid storytelling and inspiring experieinces to advance racial and social equity.
To our Gardenia sponsors:
•Empowering Pacific Islander Communities
•Paka Polynesian Tattoo and The ‘Ohi Foundation
•Steven & Sons, Inc. – FIFE, WA
To our Plumeria sponsors:
•Terum
•White Center Community Development Association
•Bombay Fiji Bazaar/Pacific Islanders Paradise
•Pinnacle Elite
•Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
We are grateful for your willingness to be in community with us, and we thank you for your generous support.
To our Keynote Speaker, KeivaLei Cadena, thank you for sharing your manaʻo, your wisdom, and your light with us all. As you said, “It is a representation of who and what Pacific Island people are. No matter where we are on this earth, we bring our island values, and we bring our island aloha wherever we lay.” We hope to continue building spaces together that will allow everyone to value their identity, journey, and most importantly, their selves. Like the story of Haʻakalau, we are able to overcome all obstacles because where there is hope, there is faith.
To our community Impact Speaker Lasi Keener, your shining spirit and unapologetic beauty in all that you are helped inspire our guests, and we are so grateful.
As a community that honors the memories and the legacy of our ancestors, we would like to send a warm welcome and thank you to Willard Bill Jr and the Muckleshoot Tribe for grounding our ceremony in a land acknowledgement.
Mahalo nui loa, Sui-Lan Ho’okano for blessing our event. Our Tagata Moana ancestors would be proud of the strength, the culture, and the mana that you continue to showcase and share with everyone.
Thank you all for your participation and words of inspiration throughout the night will not be forgotten, we were so honored to have you be a part of our evening.
To our Friends and Partners:
•Alphabet Alliance of Color – AAoC
•Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy – AAPIP
•Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS)
•Equity in Education Coalition
•Fiji PNW
•Pacific Islander Community Association
•Queer the Land
•EFKAS Seattle II
•Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network
•Uila Mendoza of Fairway
•UTOPIA LA
•Utopia PDX – United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance Portland
•Washington State CAPAA
Your strong show of support and solitude for our work in creating a sustainable and safe environment for our community will not be forgotten.
To our community members who supported our event and organization with a donation and Siva Sāmoa, we are grateful for your participation and cultural display of support:
•Society Of Fa’afafine In American Samoa – S.O.F.I.A.S.
-Shanee Masoli, President
•Le ‘Au Uso Fealofani of Washington
And last but definitely not least, we are grateful to all of our amazing and supportive guests, without your presence and alofa, we would not have been able to have this event and capture as much support as we did. We are grateful for all of your love and for the solidarity you have with our organization and QTPIs!
Our annual Lū’au this year was nothing short of fabulous, and we have all of you to thank for that. As we continue our mission to provide safe spaces and long-lasting resources for our QTBIPOC communities, please know that your support has helped to further our initiatives and push us to do more than we could ever have thought to do before.
For more information on our Lū’au, and all of our future events, programs, and general information about UTOPIA Washington, please visit www.utopiawa.org
We have raised $150,000! Thank you! We have an ambitious fundraising goal of $200,000 and we are 75% there. Will you consider making a donation today and ensure that we can continue this work to fight for liberation for all our 2SLGBTQIA+ BIPOC folx?
Donate directly: https://utopiawashington.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate
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Donate via Venmo @utopiawa