The "Free Photoshoots to Raise Funds for Vietnamese Flood Victims" event in New York's Times Square, initiated by international student Pham Khanh Toan, has drawn enthusiastic support from the Vietnamese community in the US. 

Toan's family has chosen the Kinh te & Do Thi (Economic and Urban) Newspaper as a partner to deliver the proceeds to those affected by the floods.

Pham Xuan Khanh's family donated VND75 million (US$3000) to flood victims through the Economic and Urban Newspaper. Photo: Thanh Hai/The Hanoi Times

On the afternoon of September 16, 2024, the Economic and Urban Newspaper received a donation of VND75 million (US$3000) from the family of Pham Xuan Khanh (father of Pham Khanh Toan), Party Secretary and Rector of Hanoi College of High Technology, to help residents living along the Red River who were severely affected by Typhoon Yagi.

This contribution is part of a broader fundraising campaign organized by the Economic and Urban Newspaper to help those affected by the storm.

Pham Khanh Toan, currently studying in the Netherlands and interning in the US was moved by the devastating news of Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam. After work, Toan took a 4-hour train ride to Times Square in New York City to complete his project: "Free Photoshoots to Raise Funds for Vietnamese Flood Victims." He spent an average of eight hours a day travelling, not counting the two to three hours he spent walking around Times Square for this humanitarian effort.

Pham Khanh Toan and friends perform the charity project "Free Photoshoots to Raise Funds for Vietnamese Flood Victims" in Times Square, US. Photo provided by the family

Toan used his cell phone to show footage of the tragic flooding in Vietnam to his American friends, encouraging them to donate to the victims. During this time, Toan was able to sleep only 4-5 hours a night and spent as much time as possible in the bustling Times Square to raise funds, hoping to send the donations back to Vietnam as soon as possible. Inspired by his efforts, several other Vietnamese students in the US joined the cause.

This initiative garnered support from international friends, Toan's family, and media coverage. To date, the project has raised over US$4,000. Toan decided to send VND25 million (US$1,000) to the account of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the remaining VND75 million (US$3,000) was entrusted to Economic and Urban Newspaper, a reputable non-profit organization in Hanoi, to help the residents of the Red River floodplain in Hoang Mai District.