Sunflower Mission

Bonjour! You’re invited to Sunflower Mission’s Beating the Odds Casino Night Gala! Step into Hotel Sunflower for a grand night of casino games, dinner, philanthropy, and good company! Do you have what it takes to beat the odds and win fantastic prizes?

For more information, visit https://www.sunflowermission.org/news/bto2024

Hello Sunflower Mission family! Registration is open for our 12th round of English Initiative, which will run from July 26 to September 8. By joining as a mentor, you will be able to help a Vietnamese university student practice their English skills through weekly one-hour video calls.

We release guided topics to help get the conversation going each week, and no Vietnamese knowledge is required to join. We invite all students and young professionals to join us for Round 12, which will last for six weeks!

Mentor sign-ups are open until July 15th at http://tinyurl.com/EIRound12.

Please reach out to the SEEDS team at [email protected] if you have any questions!

Congratulations Phung Tran, current leader and former recipient of our Sponsor a Student (SAS) Scholarship Program, for winning Intel's Gordon Moore Hero of the Year Award!

The Gordon Moore Hero of the Year Award recognizes Intel employees who display extraordinary commitment to their communities. Phung attended Sunflower Mission’s first elementary school built in 2002. A recipient of our K-12 Scholarship and SAS University Scholarship, Phung aimed high and achieved her goals. Starting as an intern in 2015, Phung rose through the ranks at Intel to become an engineering manager. She currently serves as a leader of our SAS program, using her experience to give back to the next generation of Sunflower Mission students.

Read more about Phung and Intel’s Gordon Moore Hero of the Year Award here: https://community.intel.com/t5/Blogs/Intel/We-Are-Intel/The-Gordon-Moore-Intel-Hero-of-the-Year-Meet-Phung-Tran/post/1605829

The adventure begins!

Sunflower Mission’s 2024 Workcamp has officially begun, and we’re excited to see how the next few weeks will unfold. Stay tuned to see where our journey will take us!

We have exactly 1 week left before our partnership with comes to an end. 🍜 Fuel up with some delicious food while supporting education in Vietnam. 😋

Interested in participating?
View our preview posts to learn more!

Our 2023 Annual Report is here! This comprehensive report showcases the incredible progress and achievements we’ve made together over the past year.

Key Highlights from 2023:

♠️ Beating the Odds Gala: Our casino night fundraiser raised an astounding $316,000 through the leadership of our SEEDS youth members.
🌎 Scholarship Alumni Go Global: Several of our LSMSE and SAS scholarship recipients have been accepted to pursue PhDs at prestigious universities like Stanford University, Texas A&M University, and Nara Institute of Science and Technology.
🏫 Work Camp’s Return: After a three-year hiatus, our work camp resumed with 50 volunteers, including 8 of our college scholarship recipients, to construct a new school in Quảng Bình Province.
💡 New Vision Statement: Following a “Blue Sky” reflection session, we proudly unveiled our new vision, mission, and values statements.

Read the full report at sunflowermission.org/financials

Happy May! We’d like to remind our supporters that our partnership with is going strong through all of May.

Interested in participating?
Eat at any of the following restaurants in CT, MA, OH, or DC, and a portion of proceeds will be donated to Sunflower Mission! 🍜

Mecha Noodle Bar
Pho Vietnam
Mariposa Taqueria .mp

Don’t live near one? Share with your friends and family! 🌻

Eat Ramen = Support Education!

We are proud to once again partner with Eat Justice this entire month of May to fundraise for education in Vietnam!

Eat Justice was created by Tony Pham and Richard Reyes to support philanthropic causes through their restaurants. Their idea was simple:

Eat at any of the following restaurants:
Mẹcha Noodle Bar
Pho Vietnam
Mariposa Taqueria

And Eat Justice donates 50 cents per bowl of noodles or 25 cents per taco to their nonprofit of the month. For May, it's Sunflower Mission!

Don’t live in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Ohio, or DC? Share with your friends and family who do!

$39,592 raised
1,230 miles
49 runners
9 days

We’d like to give a huge THANK YOU to the runners and sponsors who participated in Sunflower Mission’s first-ever Strides for Schools. Together, we’ve raised $39,592 toward the construction of our newest elementary school in Kien Giang, Vietnam. Every step you took, every dollar you donated, and every share on our socials brought us one step closer to providing more educational opportunities for underprivileged students in Vietnam.

Thank you for being such a vital part of this journey. Together, we are creating pathways to success for children in Vietnam, one step at a time!

Strides for Schools is well underway,
Our runners need your help! Donate today!

- Le Phi Duy, LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
- Jacob Lee, SM Supporter
- Skyler Lew, SM Supporter
- Nancy Nguyen, 2x Work Camper
- Esaam Zaman, SM Supporter
- Preston Lew, SM Supporter
- Phan Chau Thuan, SAS Scholarship Recipient
- Vo Duy Son, SM Supporter
- Suni Zhu, SM Supporter
- Dylan Tran, SM Supporter

Sponsor these runners mile-for-mile through April 14 at https://forms.gle/VEA3dS97xqHTZBk66

It’s finally here,
Strides for Schools Day 1!
You know what time it is…
It’s time to RUN!

- Vi Ma, SAS Scholarship Coordinator
- Pham Dinh Nhan, LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
- Barry McGeough, Advisor
- Truong Trong Loc, LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
- Alan Ta, SM Supporter
- Dang Thi Tra My, LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
- Jonathan Chu, SM Supporter
- Vo Thi Ngoc Huyen, SAS Scholarship Recipient
- Linda Le Pham, SM Supporter
- Nguyen Thi Thu Hai, LSMSE Scholarship Recipient

Sponsor these runners mile-for-mile through April 14 at https://forms.gle/VEA3dS97xqHTZBk66

Our runners have been training, make it all count!
Donate for each mile, any amount :)

Ivan Vo- SEEDS Volunteer Coordinator
Dinh Thi Khanh Linh- LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
McKenzie Le- Work Camper
Le Lai Hoang Son- LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
Kayla Nguyen- SM Supporter
Caden Nguyen- SEEDS Volunteer Coordinator
Benjamin Le- SM Supporter
Le Minh Khoi- LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
Rilina Tran- SM Supporter

Sponsor these runners mile-for-mile before they hit the road tomorrow, April 6: https://forms.gle/VEA3dS97xqHTZBk66

Sunflower Mission runners are ready to soar,
Sponsor them soon! Here’s 8 more:

- Zenda Nguyen, LSMSE Leader
- Kennedy Le, SEEDS Volunteer
- Dalton Bui, Director
- Tran Thi Hong Phuong, LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
- Loan Nguyen, English Initiative Mentor
- Raymar Turangan, SEEDS Volunteer
- Quyen Ma, Former Director
- Bryanna Le, Work Camper

Sponsor these runners mile-for-mile before they hit the road this Saturday, April 6: https://forms.gle/VEA3dS97xqHTZBk66!

Laces tied, Weather is cool,
Ready to run, Strides for Schools!

Meet our first 8 featured runners for Sunflower Mission’s inaugural Strides for Schools Runathon:

- Ethan Bui, former SEEDS President
- Le Ngoc Thanh Tra, LSMSE Scholarship Recipient
- Valeria, SM Friend and Supporter
- Nguyen Huu Loc, SAS Scholarship Recipient
- Cindy Au, Former BOD
- Tina Au, 2-time Work Camper
- Nguyen Thi Thao Phuong, SAS Scholarship Recipient
- Sebastian Nguyen, 2-time Work Camper

Sponsor these runners mile-for-mile before they hit the road this Saturday, April 6: https://forms.gle/VEA3dS97xqHTZBk66

Join us April 6–14, 2024 for our Strides for Schools Runathon – where every step you take makes a difference! Lace up your running shoes for an exhilarating runathon benefiting the construction of our newest elementary school in Kiên Giang Province, Vietnam.

Strides for Schools is a virtual runathon that allows you to run from anywhere in the world, at your own pace, and on your own schedule. After securing pledges from friends and family, you raise money for every mile or kilometer you run! You choose the distance you want to cover – every stride counts towards building a brighter future for children in Vietnam!

Register to run by April 5 at sunflowermission.org/news/runathon

Please welcome three new members to Sunflower Mission’s Board of Directors! Dr. Hoang Phi, Ms. Elena Tran, and Mr. Dalton Bui have all been committed members of our organization for many years and are now stepping up (or returning) into leading roles.

Read more about our new directors and the entire nine-member team at sunflowermission.org/team-bod

We also give our deepest appreciation to our three outgoing directors (Quyen Ma, Cindy Au, and Linh Ngo) for their exceptional contributions through many years of service.

Roll call! 📣 Sunflower Mission is looking for English Initiative mentors. Join us to help our university scholarship recipients in Vietnam practice their English skills. This 6-week program is designed for college students and young professionals (knowing Vietnamese is helpful but not required). Sign up by Feb 3 at https://forms.gle/YzayqY7DD14w248E6 to become an English mentor today!

⏰ Time is ticking! Here's your reminder to register for Sunflower Mission's 2024 -- only a few more spots available!

Workcamp 2024 is planned for June 10 to June 22, 2024, at Long Thạnh, huyện Giồng Riềng, Kiên Giang Province, Vietnam. 2024 also marks 20 years since SM’s FIRST work camp in 2004!!

Application process is now open and available here: https://www.sunflowermission.org/news/apply-workcamp-2024. Please submit your application by January 5, 2024. For questions, please contact: [email protected]

🌻 Happy ! 🤲🏼

For 21 years, your generous support has allowed Sunflower Mission to nurture and uplift Vietnamese students in need through educational initiatives. With your help this special day, we can continue our mission to make a life-changing impact on students all over Vietnam. Whether you give a few dollars to provide school supplies for our elementary students or $500 to Sponsor-A-Student through college, you give the gift of , the most powerful tool in helping our students break the cycle of poverty.

Want to support our mission? Visit our website for more information on Sunflower Mission and how to donate: https://www.sunflowermission.org/donate.

📣 Hey Sunflower Mission family!
WORKCAMP 2024 IS COMING! We are pleased to announce that it is planned for June 10 to June 22, 2024, at Long Thạnh, huyện Giồng Riềng, Kiên Giang Province, Vietnam. 2024 also marks 20 years since SM’s FIRST work camp in 2004!!
Application process is now open and available here: https://forms.gle/yHTBkGQvK2miuy9AA

Please submit your application by January 5, 2024.

For questions, please contact: [email protected]

SM FALL BALL 2023 ⭐️🎾
Thank you to everyone who came out for pickleball, spike ball, and tennis! Be on the lookout for future socials and volunteering events!!

A special shoutout to our Beating the Odds HIGH ROLLER Sponsors for sponsoring the main attraction of the night: our game tables! Thank you for your continued support and partnership with Sunflower Mission 💛

Alan Eustace
Cindy Au
Dao-Le Family
DLE Management Consulting, LLC
Kim & Rick Smith
Kim Son
National Instruments
Phan Family
Quality Dental Team
Dr. Thai Nguyen
Drs. Trang & Sy Le
Village Dermatology, PLLC
Wanda and Richard Gass
Wolfspeed

Beating the Odds | October 6, 2023 ✨♠️

What a spectacular night of casino games, live music, and prizes! Our SEEDS did an amazing job hosting their first gala event!
Together, we were able to fundraise $316,000 to help our students in Vietnam BEAT THE ODDS! 💛

We're so excited for the Viet Cultural Fest to be returning after 4 years! Come and visit us at our Sunflower Mission booth!! :)

🎊 Official Flyer Alert! 🎊
Get ready for an unforgettable experience at Viet Cultural Fest! Dive into a day of cultural immersion, thrilling entertainment, and mouthwatering cuisine.

🚨 Ticket Sales Now Open!
Don't miss out on the excitement. Secure your spot and be part of the celebration.

Get your tickets here: tinyurl.com/vcf-23

🎟️ Presale tickets: $10
🎟️ Seniors: $8

Mark your calendar for September 16, 2023 at NRG Center, and join us in celebrating the richness of Vietnamese culture! 🎉

A couple of weeks ago, a group of SEEDS (Students Expanding Education by Donating Services) from the latest work camp participated in a volunteering opportunity to aid Books2Smiles. Over a span of two days and a total of ten hours, our SEEDS sorted, cataloged, and packed nearly 1,600 books, effectively clearing out their 3-year-long stockpile of donated books.

This is just one of the many volunteering events to come, as the SEEDS are committed to making a positive impact in the community beyond work camp!

Go SEEDS!!! 💛

You're invited to Sunflower Mission's Beating the Odds Casino Night! Join us for an evening of casino games, raffle prizes, dinner, and fun. When you try to beat the odds in games like Blackjack and Bầu Cua Cá Cọp, you'll help students in Vietnam beat the odds by improving their chances to pursue higher education.

Visit https://www.sunflowermission.org/news/bto for more information!

There’s still time to support our partnership with as we throughout the month of July! Enjoy a nice meal with loved ones while supporting education for the children of Vietnam who live in underserved communities.

$.50 per bowl of ramen sold at during the month of July will be donated directly towards helping improve the lives of the people in Vietnam. Additionally, will be donating $0.50 per bowl and .mp will be donating $0.25 per taco. 🌮🍜🍴

If you’re in the Northeast area, we’ve got you covered on Mecha Noodle Bar, Pho Vietnam, and Mariposa Taqueria locations below! Be sure to snap a photo and tag us !

📍Connecticut | Danbury*, Fairfield, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford, West Hartford
📍Massachusetts | Boston, Brookline

*Pho Vietnam + Mariposa Taqueria ONLY

English Initiative is back!

Started in 2018, English Initiative (EI) was created to help our university scholarship recipients practice their English speaking and writing skills. We are thrilled to announce EI is now accepting Mentors for summer 2023. If you are a high school junior/senior, college student, or young professional interested in becoming involved with Sunflower Mission, this is your chance!

You can sign up for EI through this link (tinyurl.com/joinEIS23) or by accessing the form in our bio. The deadline to sign up is 7/23, but please do so ASAP to secure your spot! If you have any questions, DM us or email [email protected]

🔉❗️Spread the word! Our collaboration with and is almost here!!!

In 2013, Tony Pham opened Mecha Noodle Bar’s first location in Fairfield, Connecticut. The inspiration for Mecha derives from “mẹ cha” in Vietnamese, meaning mom and pop. Together with Rich Reyes, co-founder and CEO, the Eat Justice foundation exists to inspire entrepreneurs, business leaders and companies to serve and transform our local communities.

Every month at Mecha Noodle Bar, $0.50 of every bowl of ramen sold goes to an organization selected by a member of the staff. Sunflower Mission is grateful to have been chosen for the month of July!

By supporting any of Mecha’s Northeast locations as well as additional collaborators, Pho Vietnam () and Mariposa Taqueria (.mp), you also support providing educational opportunities for the students of Vietnam! 🍜🌮

Not in the Connecticut or Massachusetts area? Let your network know and help us get the word out by reposting this on your IG story and sharing on Facebook!

🌻🍜 Exciting news! Sunflower Mission is pleased to announce that we’re partnering with Eat Justice ( on IG) and Mecha Noodle Bar ( on IG) to during the month of July.
Created by Tony Pham and Richard Reyes, Eat Justice is an initiative with fundraising built into its business model. Mecha Noodle Bar, a local Connecticut business, has adopted the Eat Justice model by donating $0.50 of every bowl of ramen sold monthly to a good cause – so by supporting any of Mecha’s locations, you are also supporting Sunflower Mission! In addition to Mecha Noodle Bar, Eat Justice is also collaborating with Connecticut-based businesses Pho Vietnam ( on IG) and Mariposa Taqueria (.mp on IG) for this fundraiser. With this model, Eat Justice regularly raises nearly $20,000 for different nonprofit organizations, benefiting the greater community and spreading their mission of paying it forward.
Support our upcoming fundraiser by checking out Mecha Noodle Bar, Pho Vietnam, and Mariposa Taqueria’s locations throughout the Northeast:
📍Connecticut | Danbury*, Fairfield, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford, West Hartford
📍Massachusetts | Boston, Brookline

*Pho Vietnam + Mariposa Taqueria ONLY

Not in the Connecticut or Massachusetts area? Let your network know and help us get the word out by reposting this on your IG story and sharing on Facebook!