• A boy for Kevin James, wife • FAHSI is Miss America partner • Volunteer for Tagalog language class
“King of Queens” actor Kevin James and his Filipina wife Steffiana de la Cruz welcomed a baby boy April 24, the first son for the couple. Kannon Valentine has two older sisters Sienna-Marie, 6, and Shea Joelle, 4.
Kevin and Steffiana, a former model-actress, are both from New York. They married in 2004. A year later, he got his big film break in “Hitch” playing a romantically awkward man who seeks the help of a matchmaker (Will Smith) to win a woman’s attention.
Kevin, known as Doug Heffernan on TV and Paul Blart on the big screen, is a regular on Comedy Central.
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Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr. attended the celebration of the 23rd Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) on April 15, where the Filipino American Human Services Inc. (or FAHSI) was also named a partner of the advocacy projects of Miss America and Youth Service America.
The event was held in Jamaica, Queens
The GYSD is the largest and longest running youth-led services campaign in the world. It features projects — coordinated by the youth – that focus global attention on issues such as childhood hunger, obesity, homelessness, the environment and disaster preparedness.
In his remarks, De Leon expressed his pride that FAHSI was chosen as a partner NGO in implementing the advocacy projects of Miss America.
FAHSI won a GYSD grant for a project to fight child obesity through dancing. Called “Sayawan Para Sa Puso,” the project was an idea of two girls, Eva Marie Bedrijo Louie, 9 years old and Nicole Caye Reyes Alcantara, 10.
Miss America Teresa Scanlan tries the ‘tinikling’. Photo: FAHSI
De Leon noted the relevance of dance, specifically Philippine dance, in promoting physical fitness. He said dancing comes naturally to Filipinos, and that Filipino children are not strangers to all kinds of dance routines. A highlight of the event was when the Filipino American kids demonstrated the ‘tinikling’ bamboo dance and Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan participated.
FAHSI is a non-profit in Queens providing services for immigrants, youth, seniors and the growing FilAm community in New York.
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Are you looking for a volunteer opportunity that’s fun and engaging? Do you want to expand your network and meet other Filipinos in the Jersey City area? Do you want to learn about other local Filipino community organizations and businesses? Do you want to teach children basic Tagalog words through arts and crafts? Do you want to be part of the largest and longest running “Queens of Filipino Feasts” in the Northeast?
Celebrate the Catholic Action of Mary’s 33rd Annual Santa Cruzan and Street Fair on May 29, and volunteer with the Filipino School of New York & New Jersey, one of the participating organizations at the festival.
Interested volunteers, contact Venessa Manzano, school director at info@filschool-nynj.org or visit filschool-nynj.org for information.
Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=213317285363120
