Benefit to help Vietnamese children Benefit to help Vietnamese children (February 25, 2000)

Sisters act after seeing country

By Stephanie Ericson

An upcoming concert to benefit poor children in Vietnam is the brainchild of Amador Valley High School student Truc Nguyen, who was inspired to act after visiting the country for the first time last summer.

The benefit, which will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 27, at Amador Theatre, will feature classical and jazz musical performances by students and professors from California State University, Hayward, and theatrical scenes by Amador Valley drama students. Nguyen and her younger sister, Chi, will also perform piano duets at the event.

The idea for the benefit came during four weeks of traveling with her family in Vietnam and seeing first-hand the difficult conditions that people faced there.

"I hadn't realized that the people were so very poor," Truc Nguyen said. "I saw many homeless people, especially children, begging in the streets."

Even before this trip, however, the Nguyen sisters had wanted to do something to help people in their parents' homeland. So last year, they took part in the national "Make a Difference Day" effort by raising funds towards a library in a small rural Vietnamese village. The sisters managed to raise over $1,000 by selling Beanie Babies dolls and homemade toffee candy. The donation was facilitated by a non-profit organization based in Oakland. The two sisters were able to see the fruits of their efforts on their summer trip when they visited the small rural library. They also spent a few days at a children's shelter in the southern Vietnamese city of Can Tho'. The sisters then decided to try a second fundraising project, this time using their musical talents to help some of the 30 or more children, ages 8 to 15, who are housed and educated at the shelter. "Their parents can't support them," Truc Nguyen said, "or they don't have parents." Because the shelter's resources are so limited, most of the children must leave before completing a secondary education, they say. Truc and Chi's goal is to provide a small scholarship fund to help children continue their high school studies, and possibly attend college. The Nguyen sisters enlisted the help of their sympathetic piano teacher and CSUH professor, Ellen Wassermann, who helped them secure the musicians for the event. Wassermann, an accomplished concert pianist, is one of the performers. Nguyen said they also appreciate the enthusiastic interest of the participating drama students from the high school. Tickets for the event cost $5 and can be purchased at the Lions Ticket Office in Wayside Park, Camerata Music, Dublin, Goodenough Books, Livermore, House of Woodwinds, San Ramon and at the door. Amador Theatre is located at 1155 Santa Rita Road. For more information, call 275-9250. <@endbullet>n<@$p>