More than 6,000 people participated in the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper-backed annual Sunflower Festival in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday morning to express their support for child cancer patients.

The 11th edition of the event was organized at Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11.

It was originally scheduled to take place on Sunday of last week, but was rearranged due to prolonged downpours brought about by Storm Usagi.

Despite taking place a week later, the meaningful charitable festival was still attended by a large number of people.

Thousands of paper sunflowers prepared by volunteers lit up the site of the event.

Meanwhile, many young participants also tried their best to create even more blossoms for the occasion.

Participants pose for a photo with paper sunflowers prepared by volunteers.

Capturing the most attention was the ‘Wish Garden,’ where 385 hand-made sunflowers featured the wishes of the cancer-stricken children.

A fundraising walk for kids with cancer also attracted thousands of participants at the festival.

A sunflower features a wish of seven-year-old Le Ngoc Diem at the ‘Wish Garden.’

The event included many other interesting activities, such as portrait panting, a fundraising fair, a painting gallery made by the young patients themselves, balloon release, and musical performances.

As of 12:00 pm on Sunday, the organizers had received more than VND6.6 billion ($281,773) worth of support from local companies, institutions, and benefactors, as well as from the fundraising activities at the festival.

Participants write their greetings to the young cancer patients.

The Sunflower Festival is held on a yearly basis by Tuoi Tre and the Vietnam Youth Federation to commemorate the death of Le Thanh Thuy, a high school girl famous for her long fight against bone cancer prior to her surrender on November 2, 2007.    

It also promotes the work of “Thuy’s Dream Foundation," set up by Tuoi Tre to support children with cancer.

Participants make paper sunflowers at the festival.

Artists draw portraits of kids at the event.

Thousands of people take part in the fundraising walk at the festival.

Paintings created by children with cancer

Young people shop for souvenirs at the fundraising fair.

Ho Tan Dat (R), deputy head of the Vietnam Youth Federation, and Nguyen Thi Huong (L), member of Tuoi Tre’s editorial board, gift flowers to the event’s sponsors.

More exciting and touching moments of the 2018 Sunflower Festival can be seen in these flowing photos.

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