Please find the latest updates from VAYA in the following categories:
I. VAYA General Updates
II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
III: VAYA & the Community
IV: Other Announcements & Information
I. VAYA General Updates
A. Happy Holidays from VAYA
As the year dwindles down, we at VAYA would like to wish each and every one of you a safe and joyous holiday season. We want to thank all of our staff, members, sponsors, & community supporters for their support and dedication throughout the year. Your time, commitment, and efforts is deeply appreciative. For those in school, good luck on your final exams and enjoy your winter break. Everyone else, we hope that you'll get some time off to spend with families, friends, and love ones. Have a great & prosperous new year everyone! Cheers to 2010!
B. Review: VAYA 6th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner (Tuesday, November 24, 2009)By: Nancy Truong, VAYA Historian
The night started out with a speech from VAYA president Michael Thai and the 2010 Tet Chairs Cuong Pham and Sydney Tran thanking those in attendance for their participation and continued support of VAYA and its efforts. Self introductions followed after the speeches and helped to break the ice for the event, people mingled and networked as they loaded their plates with the delectable dishes and no event would have been complete if there wasn’t karaoke. Several individuals displayed their vocal talents singing Vietnamese duets while others watched on in admiration.
VAYA also took the dinner as an opportunity to give back to the community by serving as a platform for those involved in A3M (Asians for Miracle Marrow Match) to raise awareness about the importance of registering to be blood and bone marrow donors because statistics show that there is a low number of registered donors with minority backgrounds.
C. Ways to get MORE involved with VAYA
At VAYA, we work to promote youth leadership, cultural awareness, social activism, and community development. Therefore, we make every effort to provide our members the opportunity to lead and make a difference. To get involved, please visit our web site for more information. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.
*** Access Application(s) @ http://www.vayasd.org/downloads/
II: VAYA Tet 2010 Updates
A. General Tet News & Information
Photos and Information on the Top 20 MVSD 2010 Contestants are up. Please check it out and Vote for Miss Photogenic 2010: http://www.sdtet.com/pageant/2010-contestants/.VAYA 2010 Tet Festival Sponsorship: Interested in being a sponsor for our 3-day festival? Visit http://www.sdtet.com/sponsorship/ or email sponsor@sdtet.com for more information.
For more information about the 2010 VAYA Vietnamese Lunar Year Tet Festival, please visit: http://www.sdtet.com/.
III: VAYA & the Community
A. From Shore to Shore (Nguyen Tho Sinh)
By: Nancy Truong, VAYA Historian
Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh, a Viet Nam native, a U.S. citizen, and a veteran of the Army National Guard, was inspired to show his appreciation to America, the land of the free, the best way he knew how, using his own two feet to travel the land from shore to shore. He wanted to use his journey as a means to remind others of their abilities and potential as individuals living in the land of the free, to do the undoable. Stepping from shore to shore, Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh started his journey in Jacksonville, Florida in June of 2009 and ended it in San Diego, California on November 7th, 2009 where he was honored at the Vietnam War Memorial Museum in Balboa Park.
The ceremony took place in the courtyard in front of the Veteran’s museum surrounded by flags of various nations. Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh arrived at the ceremony carrying the Vietnamese flag as well as the American flag where he was greeted by members of the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance, members of the Vietnamese community and the armed forces, as well as veterans. VAYA staff members and volunteers arrived at the event early to help set up for the event, moving heavy cement blocks and stayed late to help clean up, stacking chairs, and removing cement blocks. VAYA’s own External Vice President, Nikki Lam, helped MC the event and sang the national anthem while Henry Tran and the contestants of the Miss Vietnam of San Diego 2010 presented Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh with a framed photograph. Mr. Nguyen Tho Sinh was also honored with several other awards and a large cake which had his image and that of a map of the nation, symbolizing his journey.
IV: Other Announcements & Information
A. Vietnamese Alliance to Combat Trafficking (VietACT)
VAYA's very own Community Relations Coordinator II (English), Calix Vu-Bui, is currently in Taiwan as the latest VietACT Intern (http://www.vietact.org/). Follow her experience in Taiwan @ http://vietactintern.blogspot.com/.
B. Vietnamese Americans for the Cure
For more information about "Vietnamese Americans for the Cure", please go to http://www.viet4cure.org/ or contact: Nick Tran OR Tracey Nguyen @ info@viet4cure.org.
C. California Endowment /Mid-City CAN (Community Advocacy Network) Updates
For more information on the CA Endowment Initiatives, please visit http://www.calendow.org/. For more information on the Mid-City CAN, please visit http://www.midcitycan.org/.
D. Census 2010
In 2010, the U.S. Census will define who we are as a nation. Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding. For more information about the U.S. Bureau of Census, please visit: http://www.census.gov/.
For a complete listing of VAYA's upcoming events/meetings, please visit our official calendar at: http://www.vayasd.org/calendar/. Please direct any questions or concerns to VAYA Secretary, Anthony (Vinh) Nguyen, at secretary@vayasd.org.
On behalf of VAYA's Executive Board and Staff, thank you for your continual support.
About the Author: Anthony (Vinh) T. Nguyen serves as Secretary for VAYA.
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