Wheelchair Foundation Charity Ball
Wheel and Grace 2024
Join us for the Wheelchair Foundation Charity Ball – Wheel and Grace—Wheelchairs for Vietnam.
The event includes music, wine, fantastic food, a silent and live auction, musical performances by YLan and The Upbeat Band, and a fashion show in the beautiful Blackhawk Museum featuring designs by Le Thanh Hoa. Celebrate the wonder and diversity of Vietnam and help us provide mobility to those in need. Proceeds from this event support our upcoming trip to Vietnam to distribute more wheelchairs!
Entertainment For The Wheel & Grace 2024 Gala
YLan
Started to sing professionally in late 1989 when she was discovered singing at a former classmate’s wedding by Ms. Thai Xuan, CEO of Diem Xua Music Production. Upon release of her first album, she immediately rose to stardom and was in demand for musical shows in the Vietnamese communities of the diaspora in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. She has since recorded over 600 songs, with song tracks on over 300 CDs of which 60 are exclusively YLan albums, and been featured in hundreds of musical videos of which 80 are by the wildly popular Paris By Night series. Starting in 1998, she returned to Vietnam on philanthropic projects mainly for impoverished and disabled children. In 2008, she returned to perform for the first time at the 20th anniversary gala of the East Meets West Foundation. In 2009, she headlined on the stage of Hanoi’s Opera House where her parents first met. In venues in all parts of Vietnam, from north to south, from the central coast to the central Highlands, YLan has received rousing welcome as carrier of the family torch, daughter of the beloved diva Thai Thanh (known as “Mother Vietnam” and “The Timeless Voice”) and Vietnam’s first icon of the silver screen the actor Le Quynh.
In her inimitable style, YLan has established herself as the interpreter of Vietnam’s classic romantic ballads, including many songs by her late uncles Pham Duy and Pham Dinh Chuong – considered among the greatest of Vietnam’s composers and songwriters. Her repertoire, characterized by versatility and musicality, extends to Vietnamese folk genre, French classics, American standards, pop, jazz and rock – always rendered in YLan’s distinctive interpretive style.
YLan settled in the U.S. in 1981. She started her singing career in 1989 at age 32, much later than most singers when she was already a mother of five children. That’s because her mom Thai Thanh, while recognizing their natural talent and passion for music, discouraged YLan and her siblings from a musical career. Mom wanted her children to focus instead on studies and head to university for professional careers. However, she grew up listening to Vietnamese songs sung by her mother – “I first heard these songs when she was carrying me,” YLan is fond of saying. As a young girl, YLan often assisted her mother with pre-show preparations and accompanied mom to the singing venues.
Today, YLan enjoys a large fan base inside Vietnam and overseas which includes both the older generations, and the young who vie to listen to songs of the golden era that have not been performed in Vietnam until more recent times. Her fans include non-Vietnamese who follow her music and fashion statements. She is well-known for her iconic performances on Paris By Night musical videos, and for her appearances on Vietnam television as a judge of singing competitions.
YLan resides in Orange County, California, close to her six children and five grandchildren.
The Upbeat Band
Le Thanh Hoa
In 2009, Le Thanh Hoa made a splash in the fashion world by winning first place in the “Aquafina Pure Fashion” contest. Just a year later, he graduated at the top of his class from the University of Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, where he studied fashion design. Immediately after graduation, he made waves at prominent fashion shows in Vietnam, such as the Dep Fashion Show and Vietnam International Fashion Week, catching the attention of both media and fashion insiders, as well as the general public.
By 2012, Le Thanh Hoa was prepared to launch his own fashion brand. His designs captivated various notable figures in Vietnam, spanning celebrities, beauty queens, and business leaders. Beyond national borders, his creations graced international events like the Grammys, Oscars, and the MET Gala, adorning renowned personalities like Miranda Lambert, Heidi Klum, Halle Bailey, Janelle Monae, and Paris Hilton, among others.
More than just crafting aesthetically pleasing dresses, Hoa also places great importance on utilizing traditional Vietnamese materials and endorsing local crafts, particularly silk. His “Fashion Destination” project aims to showcase Vietnam’s stunning locations through his fashion endeavors.
Throughout the years, Le Thanh Hoa consistently impressed audiences with innovative collections and beautiful fashion shows, carving a niche for himself in the realm of Vietnamese fashion.
Recognition for his hard work and talent came in 2020 when he won the “Fashion Campaign of the Year” award at the SR Fashion Awards given by Style-Republik magazine. In 2022, Men&Life magazine honored him as the “Fashion Designer of the Year.”
Le Thanh Hoa’s fashion journey is an ongoing exploration of innovation and creativity. We eagerly await what he’ll do next in his fashion journey.
