The NCCBA, which is a nonprofit organization, serves to bridge the gap and advance the business spirit of North Carolina's Chinese community.
The evening began with a light dinner and mingling before the main event. Before Neal's speech, attendees got an overview about the NCCBA and its upcoming programs.
The focus of the evening though, was the address from Neal, who spoke about forming his own company and answered questions throughout his speech.
As with some parts of the Triangle, Blue Stripe, at least in its name, was influenced by sports. Neal shared that of the four co-founders, two graduated from Duke and two graduated from UNC Chapel Hill. The name and logo blends the colors of both schools.
Throughout the presentation, Neal gave advice for entrepreneurs. Blue Stripe specializes in application management solutions. It is based in Research Triangle Park.
For more information about the North Carolina Chinese Business Association, visit www.nc-cba.org online.
Pancakes, sausages benefit community
On Wednesday, I was off to the Kiwanis' annual pancake sale at the downtown Durham Armory. The event was actually a joint effort between the Kiwanis Club of Tobaccoland and the Kiwanis Club of Friendly City, both based in Durham.
The Kiwanis Club of Tobaccoland, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary of serving Durham in 2010, has several projects and initiatives that include working with the Durham Rescue Mission, the Piedmont Wildlife Center, Communities in School of Durham, and many more.
The Kiwanis Club of Friendly City was founded a few years later, and while it is a smaller club, the organization still does a lot of work in the community.
Both strive to maintain the mission of the global organization by supporting children and young adults. There are approximately 13,000 Kiwanis clubs around the world in more than 90 countries.
Wednesday was the second day of the sale, which began Tuesday afternoon. The meal featured "all you can eat" pancakes, Neese's sausage, and an assortment of beverages. When I arrived, I was greeted by Walt Langston and J.C. Bazemore, both past presidents of the club.
The current presidents of both clubs, Brian Bishop, Tobaccoland, and Martha Dorman, Friendly City, were busy helping out throughout the evening.
Bishop said the sale, while a fundraiser, was in fact a time for many people in the community to get together and visit with one another.
Last year was Dorman's first pancake sale event, and she admitted, she did not know what to expect. But this year, she had a better understanding of the concept and was prepared to help the program run smoothly.
Along with members of those clubs, members of the Duke Circle K, the college level club, were also on hand volunteering to help make the program a success.
The pancake sale was a family affair for the Germinos. Abby Germino, a student a Marsh Grove Elementary School attended dinner with her father Mike and grandparents, Barbara and Vic Germino.
The youngest Germino was enthusiastic about the dinner, commenting that everything was good, while her grandparents noted she even had a second helping.
The Germinos, who all live in Durham, have been longtime supporters of both the pancake sale and the clubs' fish fry events. It is a family tradition for them.
While many people took the time to sit down and eat at the armory, others decided to get their meal in a take out plate. In fact, according to Bishop, Wednesday morning's breakfast rush was the busiest time for takeout orders.
For people who enjoyed the Neese's sausage, the company provided a collection of recipe cards to take home. According to Bishop, the clubs served more than 2,000 meals over the two days.
To learn more about the Tobaccoland Club, visit, www.kctdurham.org. To learn more about the Friendly City Club, feel free to visit their meetings Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Bennett Point Grille in Durham.
Dispute Settlement Center fundraiser
Looking ahead to next week, the Dispute Settlement Center will be hosting its fourth annual wine tasting at the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. This special fundraiser will help the center to continue to provide low cost dispute resolution services for the Triangle community.
The next day, the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the North Carolina Cancer Hospital will present a special workshop, "Navigating the Cancer Experience: A Forum for Overcoming Disparities."
The workshop will take place at the Friday Center on Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will feature a number of speakers and medical professionals. For information, please visit www.unclineberger.org.
NAACP's Durham branch to honor pair
The Durham branch of the NAACP will celebrate its centennial Freedom Fund Banquet on Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Durham Marriott at the Civic Center. The honorees include William A. Marsh Junior and the late Chester Jenkins.
Angela Ray is an actress, author and motivational speaker. For comments or tips on future events, e-mail her at Angela@mahoganydime.com.
