City News, Arcadia, December 14 — The Franklin Foundation 2025–2026 Annual Conference and Charity Gala was grandly held at Le Méridien Hotel. More than 250 distinguished guests and philanthropists attended the event, including U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, Walnut Vice Mayor Allen Wu, Arcadia City Councilmember Paul Cheng, San Gabriel City Councilmember John Wu, Honorary President of the Southern California Chinese Associations Alliance Ms. Sue Zhang, Chairman Jiang Fengnian, President of the JinGuo Committee Lily Fang, as well as many community leaders and supporters from across Southern California. Congresswoman Judy Chu Delivers Remarks
This year’s annual conference, themed “A Tribute to Ms. Sue Zhang,” featured a special charity auction of Ms. Zhang’s donated personal collections. The historically and emotionally significant auction drew enthusiastic participation and strong interest from attendees. Certificates of Recognition Presented.
17 Years of Commitment to Autism Advocacy Over its 17-year history, the Franklin Foundation has faced challenges and setbacks in its mission to support individuals with autism. With steadfast support from compassionate community members, the Foundation’s impact has expanded beyond Southern California to other regions of the United States, Mainland China, and Taiwan. Currently, more than 200 autism families from diverse ethnic backgrounds are united through the Foundation’s network, offering mutual encouragement and support and forming a uniquely strong and caring community. Notably, since 2024, participating families have expanded beyond Chinese and Asian communities to include African American, Latino, and Caucasian families, reflecting the Foundation’s growing multicultural and cross-cultural outreach.
President Ms. Jane He stated that 2025 marked a year of consolidation and growth for the Franklin Foundation. The Foundation hosted more than ten major events, including a symposium and youth art exhibition at Harvard Medical School in Boston, where the children’s art album was formally collected by Harvard University. In addition, the Foundation established collaborative relationships with autism-related charitable organizations from Mainland China and Taiwan, jointly exploring ways to better support individuals with autism and other special needs. The Foundation also plans to accelerate the launch of its long-delayed adult autism program, providing a sense of belonging for autistic young adults who currently lack supportive spaces.
Honoring a Lifetime of Compassion, caring for and embracing the autism community is not only a parental responsibility, but also a shared responsibility of society. Foundation founder John Qu expressed deep gratitude for Ms. Sue Zhang’s generous donation. Ms. Zhang—daughter of General Zhang Zhizhong, a renowned peace advocate—has served as the Foundation’s Chief Honorary Advisor for 15 years. She is also a founding figure of both the Roundtable of Southern California Chinese-American Organizations and the Jinguo Committee. Despite being nearly 90 years old, Ms. Zhang remains deeply devoted to children with autism. She donated numerous treasured personal collections to help the Foundation raise funds for documentary filmmaking and the establishment of adult autism care facilities
The Franklin Foundation expressed profound appreciation for having Ms. Zhang as its Honorary Advisor. She has rarely missed any major Foundation event and has consistently stepped forward during the Foundation’s most challenging periods, never deterred by its modest beginnings or limited resources. This time, she donated more than 20 items, including calligraphy and paintings by renowned artists, high-quality porcelain replicas, furniture gifts, and commemorative badges. These collections are not only witnesses to her lifelong service to society, but also an extension of her boundless compassion. The Foundation will publicly announce the auction results, and all proceeds will be fully dedicated to autism care and advocacy programs.
To encourage deeper community participation, the Annual Achievement Award was presented to Irene Liang and Xiaomei Hu for their outstanding dedication. Lisa Zhang was elected as a new Board Director. Harvey Sheen, Dali Chen, Grace Yu, and Eva Ren Tong were appointed as new members of the Parent Executive Committee, with Lisa Zhang serving as Chairman and Jin Wu and Julie Shen Liu as Vice Chairs
President Jane He expressed heartfelt thanks to all co-organizing partners, sponsors, and long-term volunteers, emphasizing that the Foundation’s growth would not have been possible without their continued support. Volunteers, while serving children with autism, have also experienced meaningful personal growth through their involvement
Co-Organizers and Sponsors Include RCAO, JinGuo Committee, Cogleap Center, Lily Liu, College Doctor LLC, Gloria Xiao Realty, Bafang Construction, Billionaire Realtor Gary Zuo, SoCal Y.M.L, Light of Life Union , Jianguo Zhang, Junjie Guo, American Miss Teen Pageant Winner Ms. Jenay Han, Winnie Wang, Christine Lee, New York Dragon & Phoenix Foundation, Continental Bank USA, Summit Escrow, Arcadia Chinese Association, Orange County Chinese Association, House Club, Laser Ophthalmology, Alice Wang, Global Chinese Mothers Competition, Chinese Wellbeing Community, Highlight International Art Center, Colipaso Winery and Villa, and others.
The event was hosted by Luo Wei, Franklin Foundation Ambassador and renowned host Jenay Han, Franklin Foundation Youth Ambassador and Miss Teen USA Champion Jordon Dai, actor from Fly to the Sky and recipient of the U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Award. The charity auction was led by Zhang Xichun, former host of Prosperous Collections on Kunming Television, with 18 years of professional auction experience. A large-scale painting by Chen Yanwen was acquired by Winnie Wang, an international investor active across Mainland China, the United States, and Hong Kong. Art expert Cui Guojian, successor of Beijing Rongbaozhai, introduced the historical and artistic value of Ms. Zhang’s collections. The special charity auction set a new fundraising record in the history of the Franklin Foundation’s annual conferences, marking a new milestone in its autism care and charitable mission.
