WE ARE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD BOWLERS! Teams of 5 are encouraged to sign up before the deadline of Sept. 17, 2008. So grab your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers!

We will have lots of rock 'n' roll music, good food, good company, and of course, lots of bowling, to support the cause of a better education for the children of Vietnam. This is a great opportunity for team building, camaraderie, community outreach as well as good family fun. Also, if your company matches funds, please let us know!

Our overall goal for the school building program this year is 15 classrooms. This goal was established based on our ability to successfully deliver the projects in the rapid cost escalation environment and the planned 2008 fundraising effort. Our target areas for 2008 are Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Can Tho, and a province in the Central Highland such as Phu Yen.

Carly Zalenski decided to build a school for children in Vietnam. It took her two years. She was 12.

Carly Zalenski's eyes filled with tears as the dusty bus rattled down a dirt road in southern Vietnam. The 14-year-old and her family had traveled by plane from Canton, Ohio, to Ho Chi Minh City and then by bus deep into the Mekong Delta. Now, as they approached the village, hundreds of cheering schoolchildren lined the entrance to the Hoa Lac School, a two-story concrete building that Carly had raised money for.

“Vietnam, compared with other countries in the region, spends a lot of money on higher education,” said Ben Wilkinson, a representative of Harvard University’s Vietnam Program in Ho Chi Minh City.

“I would argue that money is not even the decisive factor [in establishing a world-class university.]”

...Talking to the students there and watch as their face lit up with joy. It touches my heart deeply to know that one person could make a difference and the efforts that each member of VSA has put help towards raising money to donate to Sunflower Mission made the biggest difference ever.