The stack of Chinese characters in front of Mike Henderson kept growing. His 7-year-old daughter, Avery, called, “Just one more,” and dashed off before he could respond.
Avery and her family were among more than 1,000 people who attended the Asian Adventure/Chinese New Year Celebration at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch on Sunday.
The event is a collaboration of the Colorado Chinese Language School and Girl Scouts of Colorado.
A chance meeting between the groups at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival in 2005 planted the seed of collaboration.
When the Girl Scouts wanted to do something to celebrate the Chinese New Year, that connection was remembered, and the collaboration was born, though expanded to a Pan-Asian event, said Leslie Howard, program manager for Girl Scouts of Colorado. In addition, Girl Scouts made it a part of their World Thinking Day.
World Thinking Day allows the Scouts to celebrate cultures around the world, said Emily Wagner, a 12-year-old member of Troop 922 in Highlands Ranch.
“And Scouting around the world,” added troopmate Sydney Ludwick, also 12.
The hands-on activities, from Chinese painting to Filipino tinikling — stick dancing — set this celebration apart from other Chinese New Year celebrations in the area, said Chi-Lien Lee of Greenwood Village. Lee’s daughter, Beth Wang, attends the Colorado Chinese Language School.
“It gives a real feel for the culture,” said Lee. “Our culture is so much more than just the performances you have at other celebrations.”
That depth was part of the reason that Mike and Tania Henderson brought Avery to the event.
“We get so wrapped up in our own ethnocentric worlds,” Mike Henderson said. “We should have more things like this.”
Last year, the first year of the event, 500 people attended. This year, about 700 Girl Scouts preregistered.
“I think a lot of the growth is because we added food,” Howard said. “But also that word got out about how much fun the event was in general.”
Avery agreed. Everything was fun. After the Chinese character painting, a decision needed to be made: what next?
“Origami.”
Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier: 303-954-1661 or jsteltonholtmeier@denverpost.com
