Hi everyone!  

My name is Yuming Yang and I was born 2009 in Beijing to two loving parents.  In 2015, I emigrated from China due to my father's job in New York.  My perfect world came crashing down when my father was diagnosed with a late stage cancer in 2017, which led to his passing after a few months of struggle.  He was a kind, diligent, and brave man who succeeded as an immigrant using only his grit and intelligence.  His own funeral attendance proved his character as a dutiful husband, loving father, and a caring friend.  One person that helped my family a lot after his passing was my second grade teacher Mrs. Nelson.  She introduced us to Good Grief, which quickly became a part of my family schedule.  Being with the counselors and my peers allowed me to have a chance to socialize and have a father figure biweekly.  Being there was the highlight of an otherwise isolating and lonely two weeks.  By the time COVID rolled around, my family decided to stop going.  However, we never forgot the love and support given to all participants.  We decided to focus on supporting Good Grief through the 5K fundraiser and it just kept on rolling.  We have had hundreds of donations from so many in the community which resulted in more than $100,000 dollars raised.  We won the Good Grief Community Advocate Award, which couldn't have been possible with our community.  During the summer of 2024, I volunteered at Good Grief to be a junior counselor during their summer program for little kids.  This experience only furthered my appreciation for Good Grief, as I met two brothers who uncannily reminded me of my own brother and I.  It's amazing how much talking with peers/counselors (and some free pizza) helps everyone's grief.  It's been more than ten years since I came to America, and I couldn't be prouder and thankful of all our donors and volunteers at Good Grief.  We are hosting our second charity concert in May for Good Grief along with the 5K, so I hope to see everyone there!