SAFA co-hosted the second annual event, “2010 An Evening of Chinese Culture” with the NBA New Jersey Nets at the IZOD Center, NJ, U.S.A. on Sunday, February 21st. This event opened with a lion dance eye dotting ceremony hailing government officials and influential members of the Chinese and American communities, included a martial arts half-time presentation, and a Chinese Cultural celebration of post-game performances and hosts of artists from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, including Yi Jianlian, the forward of the NBA NJ Nets, the famous Chen, Chienzhou (“Blackie”), and his fiancé, Chinese pop singer, Christine Fan. During the post-game celebration, a raffle was held with extravagant prizes and four lucky winners.

SAFA received congratulatory letters from governing officials in the Greater New York Area as well as significant Chinese leaders. The event attracted over 15,000 attendees, including business, community and governing leaders. It enjoyed extensive coverage by Chinese and American media sources, and was seen in more than 50 major Chinese and American media outlets including, People’s Daily, CCTV, World Journal, China News Services, Xinhua News Agency, Sina News, and NBA TV, to name a few.

We also expected millions of viewers online (based on 2009’s figures), and would look forward to co-hosting this event again next year and anticipate an even more exciting ambiance. The event was often reported as a pre-Shanghai World Expo Celebration.