Chinese New Year Parade

Several children from Comptche school march in the Chinese New Year Parade Friday. Teresa Shumaker photos.

Mendocino's Main Street was filled with children adorned in vibrant reds, greens and golds, which shone in the morning sun against a clear blue sky, as they paraded to the Taoist Temple of Kwan Tai Friday.

Mendocino High School students led the parade with the dragon dance, a classic symbolic feature of Chinese New Year parades. The dragon represents good fortune and is believed to bring good luck in the following year.

Jeff Kan Lee, a Santa Rosa resident, photographer and temple docent, said he comes to Mendocino to participate in the parade every year. He recalled one year when the weather was not so cooperative and everyone marched in the rain.

Loretta Hee McCoard, a member of the historic Hee family who manages the

This young boy holds up a dragon mask he made for the parade.

temple, guessed that about 250 kids participated in the parade.

"It is really nice to share this with them," she said.

In previous years, up to 400 children have participated in the parade, but since Fort Bragg School District started their winter break early, those children were not able to join the festivities.

McCoard said more adults participated in the parade with their children this time than she has seen before.

History

This reporter asked several people how long the parade tradition has existed and there were estimates of 15 to 20 years, but no one could remember an exact date.

After some research, an answer was finally discovered.

The parade, as part of a North Coast Chinese history program taught at Mendocino Unified School District, has existed since school year 1997/98, according to an article by Loretta's sister, Lorraine Hee-Chorley.

The article, posted on PreservationNation.org in 2001, states that Deena Zarlin, longtime local teacher and coordinator of the North Coast Rural Challenge Network, got a $600 start-up student/community project-based grant from the Annenberg and Walter S. Johnson Foundations in 1998 to begin restoration of the historic red and green temple on Albion Street.

As part of the grant, a curriculum was created for MUSD children to learn the history and culture of the North Coast Chinese community and the landmark Temple of Kwan Tai. The curriculum culminates with the celebration of Chinese New Year and the parade.

Fundraiser

The Temple of Kwan Tai, Inc., the nonprofit that runs and maintains the temple, holds one fundraiser each year around the Chinese New Year to pay for maintenance and general bills.

Saturday's sold-out event, a dinner and silent auction, had 135 people attend and $6,600 was raised for the temple.

According to McCoard, the fundraiser began around 20 years ago at St. Anthony's Hall and has grown so big it was moved to Crown Hall about four years ago.

Source: http://www.mendocinobeacon.com/ci_22636794/chinese-new-year-parade?source=rss_viewed

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