Acceptance speech: Freedom Award by Georgia Public Policy Foundation. 28 Jan 2020

Sunny K Park • June 13, 2024

Thank you, I love you all!

Thank you, General Ellis, for your kind and warm introduction. I

am proud to receive such recognition from such a distinguished

person as you.

Thanks to Dr. Michael Youssef, for your prayers and warm

comments. I love to be praised! However, I am a little confused,

my pastor told me that I am a sinner at the Church buy now he

said that I am a fine man.

I want to recognize my heroes who fought for my life and

freedom; our Korean War veterans!

I want to thank Consul General Kim of Korea, for attending this

celebration and being present for this honor.

Korea is a beautiful country with full of kind and industrialized

people, and I strive to honor my heritage!

Mr. Nakamura, deputy CG of Japan is here with us, thank you!

Thanks to all of you for coming to my bragging party!

Thanks to Yoon-Chul Kim, the new president of Korean

American Association of Greater Atlanta.

I want to thank

Renasant Bank and Bartow Morgan,

Georgia Ports Authority-Jamie McCurry, Robert Morris, Bart Gobeil,

the McCamish Group-Oh we miss Hank!,

David Allman, Paul Kim, Frank Barron, Berry College, Steve

Briggs, and Joe Woodson of my company GBM, for your

sponsorships and support. GPPF is an excellent organization

for your investment!

I have an old friend came from Korea to celebrate with us. SW

Kim is here!

There are a few who believed in me and supported me all the

way, especially my family and my wife Kay who energized and

supported me all the way.

Thanks to Oz Nelson, Frank Blake, Senator David Perdue,

Bjay Pak, and all of you!

There are many others in my list to thank; the list goes very long,

longer than the Pharmacy receipt tape! … But Benita warned

me to keep it short!

Did you see the Freedom Award recipients in the program?

I never imagined I would be in the company of such great leaders.

I’m still not sure I deserve such recognition. But I know that my

mother, Pyunnim Park, would see this differently if she was still

alive.

She would shout loud to all of you: … “I knew that my son

would receive the Freedom Award.” Can you hear her voice?

She was my greatest cheerleader!

My God and my mother are believed in me through all my life

and stood beside me.

Thanks to GPPF Board, chair Rogers Wade, Kyle Wingfield,

who clearly selected me by an accident.

My nonprofit Good Neighboring Foundation will continue to print

patriots pocket cards, and print US Constitution books in 3

Asian languages and distribute it to Asian-American

communities throughout the U.S.

The Cato Institute inspired my team to start it. So, a special

thank-you to our keynote speaker, John Allison of Cato!

I want to thank to most of all, the United States of America, my

adopted nation!

I arrived the US in 1974 with $200 in my pocket and very little

English. Six hours after I landed, I started a job making $1.80 an

hour. The value of $1.80 was about 40 times more in Korea at

that time. It can happen only in America!

I started cleaning the floors of a steakhouse in Indianapolis.

Today, I own a company that employs 3,000 and cleans over 1

million toilets every day in over 25 major US cities. It can happen

only in America!

This great nation gave me all I needed to reach my “stupid” goal:

to pay $1 Million in annual income tax. It took me 17 years but It

can happen only in America!

A lot of people told me in my old days there is no free lunch in

America.

I made decision to work hard, to make sure the USA wouldn’t lose

money on me, and, America with my devotions, she would be

better in shape than the day I arrived.

Know this: This is my story, and a story of my fellow immigrants

from Asia. We may be perceived as foreigners because of our

Asian appearance. But we are making contributions in all sectors

of OUR beloved nation.

This is a story of America, the Land of Opportunity. Any

American can seize it. I call it if Sunny Can, Anyone can!

I’m honored to accept this award as a tool to help me influence

the lives of young Americans better.

I hope they, including these cadets at Youth Challenge academy,

sees me as someone qualified to tell them what to do and what to

not do to be successful.

This award will help me do a better job for sure. So help me God!

Thank you, and may God bless you all!

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[발언대] YS가 在美 한인들에게 남긴 당부

By Sunny K Park • December 17, 2024

김영삼 전 대통령의 서거 소식을 들으니 그분이 미국의 한인들에게 당부한 말씀이 새삼 생각난다. 그분과는 백악관 만찬에서 잠시 만난 게 전부지만 미국 한인들의 장래를 걱정하며 과감하게 대화를 이끌던 모습이 생생하다. 그는 한국 정가를 기웃거리던 한인의 일부가 줄기차게 제기한 '교민청' 설치 요청에 확실하게 결론을 냈다. "이민 갔으면 그곳에서 뿌리내리고 잘살아라. 모국에 기대 걸어봐야 '국물'도 없다." '고국 발전에 기여하고 싶다'는 일부 한인의 희망에 대해서도 "'미꾸라지'급인 현재의 한인 사회로는 용도 미달이니 '잉어'급 정도로 커진 다음에 보자"고 했다. 그는 한인들과 만날 때마다 "현지에서 뿌리내리고 충실한 미국 국민으로 살아가라"고 당부했다. 재미 한인의 '응석'을 단호하게 거절하며 이민자로서 긍지를 갖고 살라고 주문하는 그에게 실질적 지도자라는 인상을 받았다. 지금 미국 한인 사회에서는 한국 국회의원 선거를 위한 선거인 명부 등록 캠페인이 벌어지고 있다. 머지않아 각 정당의 입후보자들이 나타나 한인회와 향우회 등을 동원해 득표 활동을 벌일 것이다. 그러면 이른바 '한인 사회 지도자'들도 덩달아 활동할 것이다. 지금 미국은 내년 대선 캠페인이 한창인데 많은 이의 관심이 이곳 생활과 직접 관련 없는 한국 총선에 가있는 듯하다. 많은 한인이 볼 때 한인 사회에서의 한국 선거운동은 우리 이민자들이 미국에 뿌리내리고 사는 데 오히려 장애가 되고 있다. 우리들이 가진 몇 표를 얻기 위해 동포 사회를 한국에서처럼 동과 서, 그리고 남과 북 출신 그룹으로 분열시키는 한국 정치인들의 염치없는 행태를 서거한 김영삼 대통령이 보았으면 무어라고 할까 궁금하다. 이민 온 우리 같은 사람들이 우선시해야 할 일은 현지 정착과 동화이다. 고국이 잘되길 바라는 마음이야 누구나 같지만, 이민을 했으면 이민자답게 그 나라 국민으로서 성숙한 모습을 보여야 한다. 우리 한인 사회의 진정한 발전을 걱정하는 한국의 정치 집단은 없다고 본다. 함량 미달 '지도자'들이 대표하는 오합지졸 한인 사회를 자신의 이익을 위해 이용하려는 자들만 있을 뿐이다. 후세를 위해 다시 한 번 결심하자. 올바른 소속감을 갖지 못하면 어디서건 쓸모없는 집단으로 남는다. 우리가 애지중지 키우고, 빚내서 공부시키는 아들 딸에게도 악영향을 준다. 출처: https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/12/15/2015121503961.html

벨헤이븐大, 애틀랜타 기업인 박선근 회장에 명예박사학위 수여

By Sunny K Park • December 17, 2024

박 회장, 대학 졸업식에서 축하 연설

Atlanta Rotarian Sunny K. Park, Chief Executive Janitor of General Building Maintenance

By Sunny K Park • December 5, 2024

Join us this Friday to welcome Atlanta Rotarian Sunny K. Park, Chief Executive Janitor of General Building Maintenance, President of Global Sun Investments and a member of Georgia Banking Company Board. You can join in person at Le Meridien or via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86202979419 Sunny is a 2000 USO Patriot Award recipient and one of Most Influential Atlantans by JAMES Magazine and Atlanta Business Chronicle in multiple years. He is an Executive in Residence of Georgia State University, lecturing regularly. Mr. Park immigrated to the United States in 1974 with no money. Today, as an indicator of his business acumen, he has successfully achieved his goal of paying $1 million in income tax annually. A native of South Korea, served as Commissioner of the White House Advisory Commission and Vice Chairman of Georgia Ports Authority. Mr. Park serves or served multiple nonprofit boards; National Guard’s Youth Foundation that supports programs for high school dropouts; USO Georgia; National Center for Civil and Human Rights; Carter Center Board of Councilors; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation Board; Atlanta Rotary Club Board; Emeritus board member of Berry College and Junior Achievements Georgia; Serves Sandy Springs City for City Charter Review Board and Development Authority; National Museum of Patriotism Board; Georgia Public Policy Foundation; Shepherd Center Hospital; Emory University Board of Visitors; Savannah College of Art & Design; Korea Defense Veterans Association Board. He is 2004 and 2008 Presidential Elector from Georgia. He served as president of the National Korean American Federation (1991); Chairman of the 1992 Overseas Korean Conference in Berlin, Germany; In 1996, he founded the American Korean Friendship Society to strengthen unique relationship between the two nations; To encourage fellow immigrants to become active in community affairs, Mr. Park founded the Good Neighboring Foundation; With his own program “If Sunny Can, I Can,” he mentors high school dropouts at Youth Challenge Programs. He presented the commencement speeches to Class 2006 of Kennesaw State University, Class 2007 of Berry College, Rome, Georgia and 2018 of Belhaven University, Jackson, Mississippi. Sunny is laureate of Atlanta Business Hall of Fame; inducted to KATUSA Hall of Fame in Korea. He is decorated with People’s Merit by South Korean President; Volunteer Service Award by the President of the U. S.; Americanism Medal by Daughters of American Revolution; Patrick Henry Trophy by National Guards Association; Small Business Person of the Year by Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Youth Foundation 2007; VanLandingham Commitment to Economic Education Award by Georgia State University; 2018 Liberty Award by Institution of Corian American Studies; 2020 Freedom Award from Georgia Public Policy Foundation. He studied at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis. He received honorary doctorate from Belhaven University. Sunny Park attends the Church of The Apostle, Atlanta, GA. source: https://www.griffinrotary.org/story/6444