HOUSTON, TX — To celebrate five years of success, Sunflower Mission will be hosting its anniversary gala “Education: Bridge to the Future” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, September 29, 2007 at Ocean Palace Restaurant, 11215 Bellaire Blvd # D, Houston, TX 77072.

Since Sunflower Mission’s inception in 2002, it has built 62 classrooms in rural parts of southern Vietnam where most families make meager livings through agricultural means and individuals have incomes of about 200,000 dong per month (which amounts to $12 U.S. dollars per person). Although parents prefer to send their children to school, many cannot do without children’s labor to make ends meet or to pay school fees. Sunflower Mission brings schools to the villages and provides scholarships to needy students.

Elena Tran, president of the group, has seen it blossom from an idea to dreams come true for so many students in Vietnam.

“Our 5th year anniversary means a lot to me because I see it as the fulfillment of our vision,” Tran said. “Whereas the majority of non-profit groups fold before they reach their 5th year anniversary, Sunflower Mission only continues to grow stronger. When we first started, I thought the idea of 100 classrooms and $1 million dollars raised in 10 years was a pipe dream. It makes me so proud to stand here, 5 years later, more than halfway toward that goal.”

Guest speakers for the evening include Betty Tisdale, founder of HALO (Helping and Loving Orphans), and Hoi Trinh, a Vietnamese-Australian human rights activist and attorney. Tisdale’s group is dedicated to bettering the lives of orphans and at-risk children around the world, and especially in developing countries such as Vietnam, Colombia, Afghanistan and Mexico. Trinh is working to resettle the last of the Vietnamese boat people in the Philippines seeking asylum.

Huy Pham, a gala organizer, sees this night as a celebration of what SM members and supporters believe -- that education is fundamental to bettering the lives of these impoverished children.

“We hope to continue to push our cause of improving the lives of Vietnamese youth through educational assistance programs,” Pham said. He invites community members to come to the gala. “Learn more about us and enjoy a night of good food and good company.”

Individual tickets for the gala are $30 and table sponsorships are available for $1,000.

At least a half dozen of SM’s junior members sweated it out in the summer heat to raise almost $1,900 for the gala by washing cars at Wal-Mart on Sunday, Aug. 19, 2007.
Wal-Mart #3302, at 9460 W. Sam Houston Pkwy S. near Beechnut, will match the funds raised making the total contribution to be $3,800.

“The carwash was great! Thank you to everyone who came,” said NaNhi Tran, 14.

So whether a youngster or a young professional, Sunflower Mission welcomes all volunteers.

San Hoang, 4, son of Sunflower Mission advisor Dr. Nam Hoang, is dressed and ready to wash cars

Sunflower Mission is a 501(c)3 organization committed to improving the lives of the people in Vietnam, mainly through educational assistance programs. The group is a U.S.-based non-profit, non-political, non-governmental organization.