The Chinese Cultural Center has postponed its Feb. 15 Chinese New Yearβs Gala, and the Organization of Chinese Americans of Tucson put off until March 1 its annual Lunar New Yearβs Banquet and Scholarship Presentation that was to take place Saturday, Feb. 8.
The events are the latest to be shelved out of concern about the coronavirus outbreak that originated in China in late December. Other local cancellations included the Global Chinese New Year Festival Show that the Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona was hosting late last month.
Susan Chan, executive director of the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, said the centerβs board of directors decided to postpone the Chinese New Yearβs event out of an abundance of caution and consideration for those affected in China and beyond.
Wendy Karahalios, president of the Organization of Chinese Americans, said her board had similar concerns in postponing the scholarship dinner, which will award three to five students with $500 college scholarships.
βA lot of people were asking us to make sure that we donβt have any guests who were visiting China or had come back from China. There is no way that we can find out so our board ... voted that itβs better to postpone and be safe than sorry,β Karahalios said. Since the first reported case of the novel virus in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 31, world health officials have confirmed more than 31,000 cases, including 11 in the United States.
The closest to Tucson was a case reported last month at Arizona State University.
The new coronavirus strain poses flu-like respiratory issues, coughing, fevers and sore throat, but the symptoms donβt immediately appear.
Chan said the Chinese Cultural Center is hoping to reschedule its gala for either May during Asian Heritage Month or September to coincide with the annual Autumn Moon Festival. The event, which usually has about 250 people attending, is the centerβs largest fundraiser, bringing in between $30,00 and $40,000.
βWeβre going to try to do it hopefully in late spring or fall depending on how severe the coronavirus is going to be at that point,β she said. βWe have to do it. Thatβs a lot of money to lose.β
Proceeds from this yearβs event will be earmarked to the centerβs endowment fund, Chan said.