On Saturday, October 13, 2018 we gathered to celebrate our 30th Anniversary at the UMass Inn & Conference Center. The program included a warm welcome by video from Leymah Roberta Gbowee 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liberian peace activist, and Acre Family Child Care parent. Attendees heard from Lucas Skorczeski, Co-Executive Director; Bethany Fitch, AFCC Board Chair; Vesna Nuon, City of Lowell, Vice Mayor; and Zelma Khadar, Co-Executive Director. Bopha Tran, Child Care Specialist gave keynote talking about her experience and how much she has overcome especially since working with Acre Family. She described growing up in Cambodia and being forced into an arranged marriage, being pregnant and fleeing the country, of arriving in the US, becoming a single parent, and starting work with Acre Family in 1992 as a child care provider, and then joining Acre Family as a Child Care Specialist in 1997.
Guests enjoyed dance performances by Angkor Dance Troupe – the Coconut Shell Dance; a Forró performance by Daniella Faulcon and partner; and two Salsa performances by Boston Mambo Movement’s Juan López and Natasha Mao.
Thank you to all our sponsors as well as Kevin Harkins Photography for capturing the excitement! (more of the evening’s photos are here)
