Imy Dulake’s induction as a Distinguished Citizen of the Year by the Lucky Baldwin District of the San Gabriel Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America tonight, May 27, was a delightful dinner event, with Imy’s son Sean (an Eagle Scout) flying in from South Korea to host the program with dignity, humor, and eloquence.
Imy’s mother, who kept her three children together in South Korea when her Italian-American husband died at age 27 and despite becoming homeless for a time, was proud to see her eldest child be honored. Imy (pronounced Eee-Me Doo-Lake) has also made her mother proud by become one of the top 1% of the most successful real estate agents in the country. Imy’s aunt, who sponsored Imy’s family to come to America in the 1970s, was also at the dinner program along with Imy’s husband Rick and Imy’s recently-married daughter Michelle (a Girl Scout Gold Award winner) and her husband.
More than 160 attendees came together with sponsors and advertisers to generate more than $31,000 for the Scouts at the event held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Monrovia. Imy was praised as someone who doesn’t wait to be given something before she gives back, but instead she “just gives.”
In a particularly nice and fun moment, Sean asked all members of the audience who were once Boy Scouts who had attained the rank of Eagle to stand. He then challenged the 15 or 20 who rose to try to remember and recite the Boy Scout Oath and the Scout Law, which most were remarkably able to do from a memory decades earlier that had apparently and proudly been engrained in the minds.
Both Imy and fellow honoree Stephen R. Baker of Monrovia are members of the Rotary Club in their respective cities, and therefore each drew notable contingencies from their clubs. Imy is also on the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce board of Directors, which supported Imy with a congratulations ad in the program and the attendance of Arcadia Chamber CEO Scott Hettrick and his wife Betty, as well as Arcadia Chamber Ambassador Sho Tay and his wife Sherry.
Sho is also on the Arcadia City Council and a Rotarian. Former Arcadia Mayors and Council Members Bob Harbicht and George Fasching were also in attendance, along with other Rotarians including Mike Real and Ernie Jensen and their spouses.