By Tim Corcoran, Board Member
Prompted by a pandemic, and fueled by a determination to maintain community connection, ACC is taking its programming online.
Before COVID-19, the idea of offering some of ACC’s popular classes, workshops and concerts was considered merely a supplement to existing in-person events; something perhaps aspirational but not necessarily critical. Now, with our community sheltering-in-place and physically distancing, the virtual venue may be the only option our community has to gather for sharing, learning, and connecting.
ACC’s commitment to Lifelong Learning and Wellness doesn’t take a break while the world is in the throes of this terrible crisis. In short order, ACC has brought a selection of its traditional in-person programming to you online, by way of social media and virtual meeting platforms Facebook, YouTube, and Zoom. Dance and yoga classes offered by Joaquin Ngarangad and Jeanie Kim-Slesicki were the first to test the team’s skills at producing live learning content, followed soon by classes for caregivers with Kris Ritualo, Soojin Yoo and Kim Fujiwara, meditation sessions with Dennis Shimosaka, a Medicare tutorial provided by Carolynn Washington, and cooking demonstrations with ACC’s own CEO, Darrick Lam. Ted Fong, who has been very “instrumental” (pun intended) behind the scenes, stepped in front of the camera himself to host a music class, joined by the fabulous singer Maeley Tom, guitarist Matt Grasso, harpist Carol Ng, and jazz musician Carla Fontanilla.
As Henry Ford said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” We thank our class and workshop instructors for helping us continue to fulfill our commitment to providing an environment of lifelong learning and wellness, through these challenging times.
Of course, classes and workshops are not the only kinds of events ACC is known for. George Connor and Mary Nakamura gave us our first live web broadcast feature-length concert, and it was spectacular! Musical delights continued with those brought to us by Pair of Docs Dennis and Janet Fisher, and a truly joyful trio, Koichi and Ellie Mizushima and Alexi Ishida. Gary Yee’s Metta Mele rang in the month of December and we look forward to bringing much more as we head into the new year.
Whether enjoying a virtual concert, or attending a participatory class or workshop, ACC’s live programming serves a very important purpose beyond education and entertainment; we strive to fight isolation by bringing our community together, while safe at home.
To learn more about ACC’s online offerings, please visit our website at www.accsv.org/online, call us at (916) 393-9026, or email infossc@accsv.org. Your feedback regarding past content, and your ideas for future content are also greatly appreciated. If you are interested in becoming a part of ACC’s online programming, whether as a volunteer providing production support or as our next talented performer or instructor, please contact Susan Sarinas at ssarinas@accsv.org.
Starting next quarter, we are pleased to introduce a new Tai Chi instructor, Robert Nakashima, who will be teaching Tai Chi for Those with Limited Mobility. He has taught Tai Chi and internal martial arts in the Sacramento area for 25 years. Robert is a former gold medalist and Grand Champion in national and international competition, specializing in traditional form and weapons. He holds a third degree black belt in Uechi Ryu Karate and is the co-founder and chief instructor of WarriorHeart, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Tai Chi, Yoga and Qigong instruction to those with chronic illness. Also new to the schedule, is Your Life History — A Guide for Writing, taught by Lora Connolly, Board Member. This is a popular workshop that has been taught at Hart Senior Center.
To view ACC’s complete online class schedule visit accsv.org/online.
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