McDonald’s and Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC) celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by presenting a special cultural show at JHS 189 Daniel Carter Beard Junior High School in Flushing. Hosted by Ronald McDonald®, the program showcased a mix of traditional and modern performances by local Asian American artists which included Korean drumming, Indian dance and Chinese acrobatics. Now in its fourth year, the event was attended by 400 young students from KAFSC’s Hodori After-School Program.

“McDonald’s is proud to recognize and celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with this wonderful showcase of talent,” stated Tony Scari, McDonald’s New York Metro Co-op President. “These events are only possible because of the hard work and dedication of the Korean American Family Service Center.”

The Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebration continues another exciting year of community activities for McDonald’s. Upcoming programs include the annual Ronald McDonald House Charities® / ASIA Scholarship Program, the largest local scholarship awarded to Asian students in the New York Tri-State area, as well as the annual McDonald’s Education Workshops, a series of free workshops that help students prepare for college.

About the Performers

NYU Rhythmic Impulse (NYURI) is a traditional Korean drum troupe comprised of Korean American students from New York University. NYURI’s mission is to educate the public about the art of traditional Korean drumming through performances and education workshops.

CU Dhoom of Columbia University, was started in 2007, and has grown into a competitive co-ed dance team competing across the Northeast. They specialize in Hindi Film/Fusion dance styles and have been known to incorporate classical Indian, modern, hip-hop, jazz, and Latin dance styles on stage.

Happy Chef, also known as Xiao Di Yang, is an accomplished Chinese acrobat who mixes a variety of physical stunts with juggling. He has been featured in the New York Times as well as many other publications.