Orlando

Fox 35 Reporter, Kissimmee City Commission Candidate Among 9 Asian Community Leaders Read Into Congressional Record

Published

8 years ago

May 29, 2018

KISSIMME, Fla. (FNN NEWS) – U.S. Congressman Darren Soto recognized nine individuals in Central Florida for their invaluable contributions to the community in honor of 2018 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Recently, the honorees’ biographies were read into the Congressional Record on the House Floor by Congressman Soto.

They were also presented with official congressional certificates by Congressman Soto in a special ceremony that took place Tuesday, May 29th in the Congressman’s Kissimmee District Office.

“It’s an honor to recognize the immense contributions the Asian American and Pacific Islander community has made to our nation and to Florida’s 9th district. I am committed to working with these groups and individuals to continue defending critical issues impacting the AAPI community in Florida, from promoting greater economic opportunities for small businesses to protecting immigrant families. I’ve been proud to work with many of this year’s honorees in Central Florida; they are inspirational and serve as a reminder that diversity is one of America’s greatest strengths.” -Congressman Soto

Congressional Record Honorees

Neal Abid	Executive Director of the Arab American Community Center Florida (AACC FL). Under his leadership, AACC FL has assisted over 15,000 community members through its healthcare, refugee assistance and employment services, and organized the largest community Arab festival that attracts over 35,000 attendees annually.
Valerie Boey	FOX 35 News Orlando reporter and President of the Asian American Journalists Association’s Florida Chapter. As an Associated Press award-winning television reporter for over 20 years, she mentors young Asian American journalism students, serves on the Board of the Florida Associated Press, and holds membership at the Orange County Asian Committee.
Dr. Sajid Chaudhary	Infectious Disease specialist who has been providing healthcare services in the Kissimmee area since 2004. He is an active volunteer in the community; he most notably opened a free healthcare clinic in Kissimmee and help raise funds for victims of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. When he was the president of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) he launched four mobile clinics to help those who are uninsured in four states, including Florida.
Hoang A. Doan	Branch Manager at the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center’s Training Systems Division and is the NAVAIR Wounded Warrior Recruiter’s Asian American Pacific Islander Team Lead. He serves as a Council Member to the City of Orlando Mayor’s Veterans Advisory Council and is an active Commemoration Partner of the Department of Defense’s 50th Year Vietnam War Commemoration.
Jose Fabricante Jr.	President of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida and is a Board Director for the Orlando Economic Partnership for 2018. He strives to provide leadership, support, and encouragement to the Asian American business community of Orlando. His family moved to the United States from the Philippines in 1992, making Florida his home.
Andrew Jeng	President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, President of Asian Pacific Islanders American Public affairs of Central Florida (APAPA), Principal of Kissimmee Chinese School, President of Kiwanis Club of Kissimmee; and, owner of UPTECH Computer Information Company. He received the award of Outstanding Asian American from Orange County, Orlando on 2016 and in 2009 the community service of Asian American Heritage Council in Orlando.
Ricky Ly	Orlando engineering professional and dedicated community advocate. He was chosen by Orlando Weekly as one of the “Ten People Making Orlando a Better Place to Be” in 2018 for his work as co-chair of the Florida Water Environment Association’s Water Resources, Reuse, and Resiliency committee and on the Board of the Second Harvest Food Bank. He also leads voter registration campaigns for the local Asian American community and worked with PBS affiliate WUCF-TV on the documentary series “Vietnamese Orlando.”
Khalid Muneer	Built a successful commercial real estate business, and is also the President of the American Muslim Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida. He works hard to form alliances with other organizations to strengthen the Asian American community in Orlando. He’s called Florida home for 27 years, after kicking off his impressive career working in eight different countries.
Imam Abdul Rahman Patel	Head of Imam Council of Central Florida and has been serving his community for the past 20 years Florida promoting to foster peace, unity, and love. Most notably he has helped in establishing the first free healthcare clinic in Osceola County and helped providing needed medication and resources to Victim Services of Central Florida. His love for his community is evident with his focus on educating the community on domestic violence at local domestic shelters, honoring the victims of Pulse nightclub tragedy, and organizing town hall meetings with local government.

Local elected officials also in attendance of this presentation include: Osceola County Russ Gibson, State Representative John Cortes and Orange Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor and Vice Chair Daisy Morales.

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Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.