President's Letter
Khai Le
Dear Friends,
2020 has been one of the most challenging times in our lives. PPAGLA started off the year with a bang. We welcomed new board members, formed new committees, and began working to bring new things to our members.
We were on track for a wonderful March banquet, and looked forward to honoring your excellent work, our Lifetime Achievement winners, and our Los Angeles Fire Department Captain. We added a new student multi-media category, and had strong entries across many schools.
In early February, PPAGLA board members met with a Nikon delegation of approximately eight from Japan, New York, and Los Angeles, and we enjoyed collaborating with new friends.
We were honored to have Pulitzer Prize winner Don Bartletti as our inaugural speaker at Canon Burbank in late February, and were excited about our rejuvenated relationship with Canon.
Don set the perfect tone for our year. His humanity and deep caring for his subjects was palpable. His talk was full of inspiration and hope.
But something ominous also happened that night which offered an early glimpse of what was to come. As we were eagerly crowding around the demo tables laden with new Canon gear, Canon officials urgently informed us of a new policy. We were suddenly required to use hand sanitizer and sanitizing stations were rolled into the reception area. We stopped handling the gear and dutifully lined up at the stations to comply, chatting amongst ourselves. I silently hoped we were just being “extra careful.” This was February 26, the day the CDC confirmed the first case of COVID-19 transmission via “community spread” in the United States. We had heard about the virus, but I don’t think any of us could have imagined how the world would change just a few short weeks later.
It became clear in March that the safety and health of our members was more important than physically gathering for our awards banquet. Yet information was changing by the day, making it difficult to discern exactly how to proceed. At the time, cancelling or postponing the event seemed a bold move. Not all restrictions were yet in place and the venue wanted business as usual. Our goal was to protect our members, while minimizing any potential financial damage to PPAGLA if we cancelled. Thankfully, we managed to do both.
Personally, I felt blindsided by what was to come next, and I suspect that I am not alone. The pandemic hit Los Angeles full force. Assignments for freelancers evaporated. Clients stopped doing the things that needed photographing, and advertising dollars for news outlets declined at an alarming rate.
For many of us, losing our jobs has been the hardest thing. For others, keeping the staff positions has felt precarious at best. Fear for our safety has been pervasive in ways that are new to us.
At the time of this writing, two of my own family members have passed away in the last several weeks. Not being able to travel to see family and mourn together is harder than I ever imagined it might be. Now, a 30 year old friend is fighting for his life on a ventilator.
Our board has held meetings via Zoom to find ways we can help our members during this time. We put together a resource list on our website, and update it regularly with financial, COVID-19, and mental health resources. The 8-Ball Welfare Foundation has been a special friend to the PPAGLA for many years, and stands ready to help those of us in need of emergency financial assistance. One of our own PPAGLA members independently raised additional funds to help 8-Ball help us.
We are personally calling as many of you as we can to simply see how you are doing. My hope is that small acts of kindness can be the difference between a good day and a bad day.
We are exploring ways to present the programming we planned. Please check our website for updates. The contests are being revised with an eye toward increased participation across genres. We are open to suggestions and welcome your ideas. Please reach out to us and let us know your thoughts and if you would like to lend a hand.
On a lighter note, we have decided to host our Awards Ceremony live and interactively online on Saturday, May 23. Our wonderful sponsors have enthusiastically supported the idea. They will personally present awards and raffle prizes live on camera, including Nikon, Canon, Tamron, ThinkTank, Samy’s Camera and more. Please see ppagla.org/banquet for information and registration.
We are here for you. We will get through this. Together.
Amy