Dear Sunflower Mission Friends, Supporters and Members:

We couldn't have celebrated our 5^th anniversary without all of you.

The gala was a testament to all of our combined efforts the past few years, and it was an amazing way to witness a team of more than 70 volunteers pull together for an unforgettable night. We can celebrate the success of that night for many reasons:

1. We raised more than $110,000. Yes, we raised that much in one night!
2. Our speakers, Ms. Betty Tisdale and Mr. Hoi Trinh were inspirational for the work they have been doing for orphans in Vietnam, Colombia, Afghanistan and Mexico as well as the remaining refugees in the Philippines awaiting homes.
3. Guitarist Dat Nguyen gave stirring renditions of songs in English and Vietnamese with his incredible musical talent.
4. Pianist Andrew Nguyen and the student dancers from UH-Vietnamese Student Association exuded youth and enthusiasm as they demonstrated their abilities to entertain the audience.
5. The Rockets VIP Suite, donated by the Stanford Group, was auctioned off for $4,000 - enough to build an entire classroom in Vietnam.
6. The youngest fundraisers, the raffle team, showed their heart and determination to sell tickets to benefit the children of Vietnam. The young Sunflower Missionmembers sold more than $5,000!

"The Gala Team (consisting of organizers, volunteers, and in-kind sponsors that provided goods and services) is top notch. Everyone stretched beyond our normal capabilities 'for the children of Vietnam'," said Elena Tran, Sunflower MissionPresident. "We'd like to give special recognition to the program and stage team led by Huyen Thanh Luu - we began and ended on time."

Captured by SBTN Houston TV

The gala reception team also did an outstanding job of transforming the ballroom into a beautiful and elegant space with all the fresh sunflowers, colorful table and chair décor, as well as the stage decorations. We'd like to express our many thanks to over 30 volunteers that arrived 5 hours before the Gala to decorate. We specifically would like to acknowledge Lynn Nguyen with Prestige Events and Wedding Flowers by Lisa for donating the materials and helping to make this beautiful transformation possible.

And certainly Sunflower Missioncould not have been as successful without one of its most vocal cheerleader, Ms. Duy-Loan Le, who successfully brought in many of the corporate donors, gave one of the most inspiring speeches of the evening, and served as the gala's chief financial officer. She kept the gala under budget and on time with her savvy leadership and organization.

Sunflower Missionis deeply grateful to ALL sponsors, volunteers, and supporters for all your years of support, time and generosity and look forward to another reunion at the next gala when we celebrate a new milestone.

"Please join us! The future of Vietnam is up to us, and there is no person / no task / no donation that is too small. We all can make a difference. What we do is 'MISSION POSSIBLE'," said Elena Tran.

If you would like a copy of the DVD: Sunflower Mission- Mission Possible, please send a request with your name and address to the Sunflower Mission email box education @ sunflowermission.org and we will mail a copy to you. For pictures of the Gala, please click here