Report from California, U.S.A.

  Divine Love Continues to Ripple through California
Long After the One World Concert

  Nearly a year and a half after the spectacular benefit concert "One World... of peace through music", its influence continues to be felt in the hearts of many. The purpose of the concert was to assist children stricken with cancer and other life-threatening childhood diseases in America and throughout the world. Oscar and Emmy-winning composers, world-renowned musicians, and a 65-piece orchestra of Hollywood's finest instrumentalists performed the world premiere of Supreme Master Ching Hai's beautiful music, as well as Her poetry set to music by composers Bill Conti, Fred Karlin, Maria Newman and Peter Boyer. That same evening, Master Ching Hai presented two very generous gifts: one to the Starlight Foundation and one to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Earlier this year, three other events revealed some of the ways in which adults and children alike are touched by the love and compassion of Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Night of 100 Stars Oscar Gala

  <Beverly Hills> On Sunday, March 26, Hollywood's most celebrated annual event, the Academy Awards, returned to the same grand venue as the 1998 One World concert, the Shrine Auditorium, to award Oscars to the best in the film industry. During the Oscar presentations, the "Night of 100 Stars" Oscar gala was also being held at the exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel. This gala honors past and present Oscar winners and supports The Film Foundation, whose goal is to help preserve precious classic movies. Last year Supreme Master Ching Hai was invited to attend the gala by the President of 21st Century Entertainment and Vice-President of Glendale Studios Edvard Akopyan, who attended "One World... of peace through music" and was impressed by the beautiful compositions inspired by Master Ching Hai's poetry, and the silent work She has done for humankind throughout the years.

  This year, Peter Nygard, internationally renowned fashion designer, president of Nygard International and a sponsor of the Night of 100 Stars, along with Hollywood film producer Norby Walters, extended a special invitation to Supreme Master Ching Hai to attend this grand event, where the many stars whose hearts She had touched last year hoped to see Her again. Although Supreme Master Ching Hai was unable to attend due to a busy lecture tour schedule, Her care was conveyed through several representatives at the event.

  Many of the superstars at the Night of 100 Stars remembered Supreme Master Ching Hai from the previous year. Edvard Akopyan, President of 21st Century Entertainment, said, "We understand that You're busy and cannot join us this evening. We always wish You health and happiness and that You continue to help people like You do. I wish You luck on Your lecture tour. I hope people understand Your message, which is very important to everyone. Thank You so much, Supreme Master, for Your assistance to Armenia, which was very helpful to the Armenian people. I hope to see You soon."

  Norby Walters, Hollywood producer and Dinner Chairman for the Night of 100 Stars also offered a greeting and best wishes: "Hello to Supreme Master. We hope that You are well and that You'll live to a 1000 years sharing Your good words. Hopefully You'll be with us next year. We look forward to seeing You."

  And Actress Stella Stevens, star of such movies as "The Poseidon Adventure" and "Girls! Girls! Girls!", also extended a heartfelt message to Master: "Hello, Supreme Master Ching Hai. It is so lovely to think of You, and I wish that You were here. I enjoyed meeting You so much last year, and I know that Your joy and beauty and the wonder that You spread to everyone does the world so much good. God bless You always. I love You."

  Many others expressed how they missed Master Ching Hai's elegant demeanor and compassionate heart and also extended their best wishes to Her, including Peter Nygard, model and actress Anna Nicole Smith, and actors David Carradine, Kevin McCarthy, Henry Silva and Vincent Schiavelli. Other well-wishers included Buzz Aldrin, first astronaut on the moon, and his wife Lois, and Ken Huthmaker of Entertainment Sports Today. Many of these superstars admire and hope to once again meet with Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Mr. Peter Nygard (left), president of Nygard International and sponsor of the Night of 100 Stars, along with Hollywood film producer Mr. Norby Walters (right), Dinner Chairman, who both extended a special invitation to Supreme Master Ching Hai to attend this grand event

Henry Silva, renowned actor (Dick Tracy, Above the Law), expresses his warm regards to Master: "Wherever you are, I want You to have
the best of everything!"

Kevin McCarthy, legendary actor (Death of a Salesman, Innerspace). and many other superstars send their best wishes to Master.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 20th Hollywood Gala

  < Hollywood> On March 2, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hosted its 20th annual Hollywood Gala at the exclusive Beverly Hilton Hotel. Many celebrities came together at this time in support of St. Jude's, one of the world's finest research and treatment centers for pediatric cancer and other catastrophic childhood diseases.

  This year, co-chairs Marlo Thomas, Terre Thomas, and Tony Thomas, children of the Hospital's founder, renowned actor Danny Thomas, wrote a letter of invitation to Supreme Master Ching Hai to attend the 20th annual gala. Although Master was touched by their sincere thoughtfulness, She could not attend this year due to a busy lecture tour schedule. However, Master sent Her love by way of several Association members.

  Despite Her absence, the celebrities and VIPs who met Master at the gala last year were so touched by Her great love and compassion that they wanted to remember Her in their hearts this year. Those who extended their thoughts and feelings to Her included Richard Shadyac, National Executive Director of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Phil Donahue, former talk show host and husband of Marlo Thomas; Tom Shadyac, Hollywood director of such films as Patch Adams, The Nutty Professor and Liar, Liar; Maxine Moshay, Executive Director of the Amie Karen Cancer Fund for Children and her husband Ray; Mike Driebe, President of the LeRoy Haynes Center for abused children; Tom Schleuning of Shady Acres Entertainment, and Shoshanna Grammer, Regional Director of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Below are some of the heartfelt greetings and glowing tributes expressed by these celebrities.

  Richard Shadyac: "Supreme Master, I missed You this year. We had a wonderful time last year, and I loved Your album. I hope You got my note, because I found the album inspirational not only for the music but for the message it conveyed to the soul. I pray next year You'll be with us. Thank You. God bless You." Mr. Shadyac then commented, "She is so filled with love and all of you, you do such a beautiful job; God bless you. We do the same thing as the Supreme Master. We bring peace and joy to children of the world."

  Tom Shadyac: "Supreme Master, how are You? I've learned to meditate. I haven't learned to do it for very long yet, but I'm working on it. I miss You, I wish You were here and God bless."

  Maxine Moshay: "Hello to the Supreme Master. We really missed You this year and hope You'll join us next year. I hope Your tour is going really well, I wish all good things for You, and thank You so much for thinking about me and sending me Your card last year. I look forward to seeing You again soon."

  Mike Driebe (recalling his meeting with Master): "My best to Supreme Master. Tell Her I think of Her very fondly and remember Her with a lot of joy, especially my experience on stage with Her that night accepting the check for the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It was a wonderful experience, and I certainly hope I will have an opportunity to meet with Her again soon... Please let Her know She's in our thoughts and prayers."

   Shoshanna Grammer: "Greetings to You, Supreme Master, from Shoshanna Grammer of the regional office of ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We met a year ago last December when You were so generous about giving your support to the hospital. We missed You this year. We were looking forward to seeing You here at the Hollywood Gala. I know that You have other pressing business and couldn't be here, but we want You to know that You're in our thoughts and prayers, and we appreciate all You do so very, very much.

  "We think that from Your heart you've given so much to the children, and You've created a lot of miracles for them with Your generosity and with Your good thoughts and prayers going their way. We are very, very appreciative of what You've done for us in the past, and we look forward to You having a long life and sharing Your long life with the children of St. Jude to give them a long life as well. We wish You all the best, and look forward to seeing You next year.

  "We watch the TV show [Master's TV show broadcast in the Los Angeles/Orange County area]. The essence of the Supreme Master is really pure. Her heart comes out in an international language, and we get good feelings of calmness and love from Her inspiration to us. Somehow She's got a universal language, so we love it. Even my seven and three-year-old love watching it [the TV show] with us, so we are bringing them up with listening to the Supreme Master. They'll even click around instead of watching their cartoons and say, 'The Supreme Master!' and then we all watch it. So She's really come into our lives and hearts, and we are better people because of that."

Mr. Phil Donahue, famous talk show host, signs the enlarged photograph of Master and himself, taken at last year's gala: "To the Supreme Master, Phil Donahue."

Mr. Tom Shadyac, Hollywood director, had a very impressive talk with Master last year and expresses his best regards to Her.

Starlight Children's Foundation Honors
Supreme Master Ching Hai

  <Los Angeles> Starlight Children's Foundation is a noble organization committed to brightening the lives of seriously ill children and their families through wish granting and hospital entertainment programs. This organization was one of the recipients of Supreme Master Ching Hai's generous contributions at the benefit concert, "One World... of peace through music" in December 1998. Always grateful for Supreme Master Ching Hai's boundless love, this year the Starlight Children's Foundation dedicated one of its Fun Centers to Supreme Master Ching Hai. These activity centers help provide entertainment and enjoyment for seriously ill children during their stays in the hospital.

  Mr. John Moschitta, Executive Vice President of the Starlight Children's Foundation and one of its celebrity board members, dedicated a Fun Center bearing an engraving of Supreme Master Ching Hai's name at the renowned Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. His dedication speech included the following remarks: "I would, on behalf of the Starlight Children's Foundation and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, like to thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for contributing, among other things, this Fun Center. Also, through the help of the Supreme Master, we've granted a lot of wishes, done children's activity network events, and granted hospital wishes. We've done a lot with the generosity of the Supreme Master. We appreciate that, and look forward to Her continued support so that we can put in more of these units, grant more wishes and help put smiles on the faces of children who are not feeling that great."

        Diane, one of the nurses at Children's Hospital, had these kind comments about Master's contribution: "It's really nice to receive these [Fun Centers] and as You know, we have many kids that are here. So it's always great to have something as wonderful as these activity centers because many times the kids are not allowed to leave their floor or their room, and it gives them something to do while they're getting their therapies. So we want to thank You so much, because it really is appreciated by all of our families, our children, and the nurses."

  Nurse Mary, also from Children's Hospital, added: "My name is Mary Aruin, and I'm a child life specialist here in the oncology/hematology unit. We are very excited about having the Fun Center. It helps a lot of the children who are not able to come to the playroom due to isolation. Having the Fun Center gives them an opportunity to do some play at their bedsides."

  Terathan, a patient at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, also expressed appreciation: "I got admitted today for chemo [therapy]...cancer in my blood...leukemia. Hi Supreme Master. Thank You, Supreme Master, for the Fun Center."

In gratitude for Master's generous contribution at the benefit concert "One World...of peace through music," the Starlight Children's Foundation engraved this message on one of its Fun Centers: "With much love and God's blessings, Supreme Master Ching Hai."

 

Happily enjoying God's gifts to them, the children at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles are the recipients of a new Fun Center, engraved with Supreme Master Ching Hai's name.