Featured Guest Speaker

Tessa Hulls is an artist, writer, and adventurer—equally at home in the wilderness or a research library. Her debut graphic memoir, Feeding Ghosts, won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, the Eisner Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Award, and the Libby Award, and was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, Pacific Northwest Book Award, and Cartoonist Studio Prize. Tessa’s practice weaves genres in category-defying ways. She is now fusing her two great loves—creativity and the wilderness—by becoming an embedded comics journalist, working in long-term partnership with scientists, nonprofits, and Indigenous organizations to help preserve remote environments.

Emcee

Christine Pae, anchor and reporter for KING 5 in Seattle, is honored to serve as MC for ACRS’s 2025 Benefit Gala. A familiar face to our community, she has also helped launch Walk for Rice for the past two years, witnessing firsthand the impact of ACRS’s work.

A Southern California native, Christine’s journalism journey has taken her across the country—from studying in Illinois, to her first newsroom role in Alabama, to reporting and anchoring in Arizona and New Mexico. Today, she proudly calls the Pacific Northwest home, continually inspired by its beauty and diversity. You can watch Christine anchor KING 5 newscasts at 7 a.m. and noon on weekdays, and catch her reporting on health stories as part of KING’s weekly series, HealthLink.

Auctioneer

Fred Northup, Jr. is a nationally recognized fundraising auctioneer, emcee, and comedy improviser. He and his team host over 150 events each year for non-profit organizations across the country, raising over $40 million a year.

For 10 years, Fred performed as a company member of Seattle's famed TheatreSports comedy improv group. As a professional emcee, he has entertained thousands at major events for Starbucks, Microsoft, Turner Broadcasting, UMB, Boeing, Amazon, Origence, Zillow, BECU, Expedia, New York Life, and more. 

In addition to his work on stage and on camera, Fred is the co-inventor of RainGlobes, the globe that rains! When not entertaining the masses, Fred can be found in Seattlee ntertaining his wife, Ashley, and their two teenagers. Visit him online at FredNorthup.com and @FredNorthupJr.

Entertainment

Massive Monkees is a world-renowned hip-hop crew made up of DJs, emcees, and more than 30 b-boys and b-girls. Founded in 1999 by four teenage dancers from two groups in South Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, the crew quickly expanded as friends and fellow artists joined, creating a dynamic mix of energy, creativity, and charisma.

That chemistry propelled Massive Monkees onto the world stage, where they captured local, national, and international championships, leading to television appearances and global tours. They also played a direct role in breaking’s inclusion in the 2024 Olympics, cementing their place as cultural trailblazers from Seattle to the world.

Entertainment

Seattle Kokon Taiko is a performing group rooted in the Japanese American community, with origins dating back to 1980 after a powerful Ondekoza performance at the Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival inspired the formation of the Seattle Taiko Group. In 1987, three members created Kokon Taiko Ensemble to explore smaller, more musical works, and in 1992 the two groups merged to form Seattle Kokon Taiko. Their repertoire blends traditional Japanese folk pieces with contemporary compositions, creating a uniquely Japanese American art form—Japanese in origin, American in expression—that links generations and builds bridges of understanding across communities.

Featuring DJ Daps1

For 20 years, Ian Dapiaoen aka DJ Daps1 has performed on many stages with various local and national hip hop artists and continues to DJ for Seattle's non-profit and social justice communities. He DJ'ed ACRS' Summer Party in 2023 and annual Gala in 2022. He is a proud father of two, one of which was a participant of ACRS' QOLOR program this past summer. He is also a member of the SEA Vinyl Society (SEA meaning Southeast Asian and Seattle), a community-led initiative focused on uniting communities through the collection, preservation, and performance of music and stories from Asia and the Asian diaspora.