Children with cancer receiving treatment at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion in Hanoi had a day filled with joy and hope as a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper-backed annual charity event was held for the first time in its 11-year history there on Sunday.

The 11th Sunflower Festival brought smiles and happiness to the child patients, giving them hope and strength in their battle with the diseases.

The annual event is held by Tuoi Tre in commemoration of the death of Le Thanh Thuy, a high school girl famous for her long fight against bone cancer prior to her death on November 2, 2007.

On Sunday, the campus of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion was filled with not only patients and their family members, but also benefactors and members of the public, who came to visit multiple fundraising booths and watch a special music performance.

Singer Le Cat Trong Ly treated the event’s participants to an emotional performance as she invited child patients onstage and sing “Em Uoc Mong Sao” with her.

The song, translated as “I wish,” was co-written by Ly and a little girl who later died of cancer, and has since 2010 been considered the unofficial theme song of the Sunflower Festival.

Singer Le Cat Trong Ly sings with child cancer patients at the Sunflower Festival in Hanoi, November 25, 2018. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

A similar festive day was scheduled to take place the same Sunday morning in Ho Chi Minh City, but was postponed to December 2, as the southern metropolis was hit by heavy rains and storm deluge.

The 11th Sunflower Festival also promotes the work of “Thuy’s Dream Foundation,” set up by Tuoi Tre to support children with cancer and runs a fundraising campaign called “Toi dong hanh,” literally translated as “I accompany.”

The campaign, running until December 2, encourages people to draw or make paper sunflowers with messages of wishes for children with cancer written on the works.

Participants should upload the photos of them on Facebook with the hashtags #ngayhoihoahuongduong2018 and #uocnguyenhong2018 and tagging three Facebook friends. Each of these entries will mean VND30,000 (US$1.3) in support for children with cancer.

As of the end of Sunday, the program has raised VND100 million ($4,300) after attracting nearly 3,500 flowers drawn in response to the campaign.

Below are photos of the Sunday Festival in Hanoi on November 25, 2018.

Members of a volunteer group perform with the child patients at the Sunflower Festival in Hanoi, November 25, 2018. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

A child cancer patient poses as she attends the Sunflower Festival in Hanoi, November 25, 2018. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

A photo of a smiling child with cancer is displayed at the Sunflower Festival in Hanoi, November 25, 2018. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

A child patient watches the festival even when he is receiving infusion treatment. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

A child patient watches the festival even when he is receiving infusion treatment. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

Two foreign tourists buy paintings at a fundraising booth. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

Child patients release balloons as a way of making their wishes. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

Patients are seen at the campus of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

A young woman joins in a blood donation held as part of the festival. Photo: Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre

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