October 17, 2007

Dear Friends,

The 31st Hmong New Year Celebration in San Diego is less than three months away. The free three-day annual festival features many splendid and rich traditions of Hmong culture which includes Hmong traditional courtship game of ball tossing, singing, music, fashion shows, sport tournaments, arts and crafts, and authentic food. The Hmong community in San Diego will, once again, hold this year's New Year Celebration at Kearny Mesa Park located at 3170 Armstrong Street , San Diego , California , from December 22-24, 2007 . As you may already know, the Hmong have been celebrating their New Year for centuries in country like Laos , China , Thailand , and Vietnam . For the past 31 years, over 5,000 Hmong, who had fled Laos after the Vietnam War, have been celebrating their New Year here in San Diego . The New Year Celebration is what is left of our unique and beautiful culture. Holding our New Year Celebration annually is one of the ways we can preserve our culture and tradition, at the same time, share them with our children and others for generations to come.

On behalf of the Hmong community in San Diego and as the President of Lao Hmong Family Association, I am appealing to you for your support. The total expenditures for the celebration from years past amounted to $12,400 per year. Our fundraising goal for this year is $12,400. Your generous donation will, once again, help make this year's New Year Celebration possible. The Lao Hmong Family Association is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt, non-profit organization. Therefore, your donation is tax-deductible. Please kindly send a check or money order to:

Lao Hmong Family Association

P.O. Box 712471

San Diego , CA 92171

Please do not hesitate to call me at (858) 974-3567 if you have any questions or would like to inquire more information about the organization or the New Year event.

Sincerely,

Pao Xiong

President