Little Flower Childcare Center hosts Lunar New Year fundraiser for playground improvements
Little Flower Childcare Center in Lincoln hosted a Lunar New Year celebration on February 16 to raise funds for its outdoor playground. The event featured performances by children dressed in traditional costumes, singing, dancing, and reciting poetry in both English and Vietnamese. Older siblings who previously attended the center also participated.
The Congregation of Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Mercy (CMRM), which staffs Little Flower, has been present in Lincoln since 1999. The order originated in Vietnam and shares its cultural heritage with students, families, and the wider community.
“Celebrating Lunar New Year is one of the special events we share with the parents and children at Little Flower,” said Sister Marta Tran, CMRM, director of the center. “Our goal is to give the children hands-on experiences that deepen what they’ve learned about the holiday and allow them to share that joy, culture, and tradition with their families.”
Guest performers included the DMNV Lion Dance Team from Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Lincoln and Kokyo Taiko, a group specializing in Japanese drumming. Father Joseph Nguyen, pastor of St. Andrew Dung Lac and Companions Parish and assistant chaplain to the Sisters, distributed li xi or “good luck money” during the event.
The celebration also offered a meal featuring chicken teriyaki, steamed rice, Vietnamese grilled pork, cucumber dishes, egg rolls, crab rangoon, beverages, gelato, tangerines for luck (Quýt), steamed buns (Bánh Bao), sesame balls (Bánh Cam), rice paper salad (Bánh Tráng Trộn), and banana with coconut milk and tapioca pearls (Chè Chuối). Each classroom hosted its own food stand.
Funds raised will go toward replacing turf flooring on the playground. Sister Marta explained: “The playground is one of the most active and essential areas of our center. The children use it every day for outdoor play, gross-motor development, and social interaction. It’s where they run, climb, ride tricycles, play ball games, and engage in imaginative play with their classmates.”
She added that structured activities such as relay games and seasonal lessons are also held outdoors. The turf provides a safe surface for toddlers through preschoolers but has worn down after 13 years of use. “After 13 years of daily use, the turf has worn down significantly,” Sister Marta said. “The wooden frame around it had become damaged, and bolts had begun to protrude. For safety reasons, we replaced the wood frame last year. However, the turf itself is quite costly so we planned a three-year fundraising effort. Thanks to the generosity of our parents, grandparents, relatives and friends of LFCC we’ve already reached one-quarter of our goal.”
The CMRM Sisters established themselves independently after leaving Vietnam during civil unrest in 1975. In Lincoln since 1999 under Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz’s guidance, they serve at several diocesan locations including schools and parishes.
Initially starting as home care providers in 1998 before transitioning into childcare services in 2006 at a former nursing home near Pius X High School; since 2012 Little Flower has operated next to St. Michael Parish serving between 42-48 children—all cared for by members of the religious order dedicated to child development.
“It is our goal to bring out greatest love and attention to the needs of each individual child,” states their website,“and to boost their creativity and self-esteem for success in the future.”
The Diocese of Lincoln oversees these efforts as part of its broader mission across southern Nebraska which includes supporting Catholic traditions through education programs like those at Little Flower Childcare Center (official website). The diocese comprises over 130 parishes along with educational institutions focused on nurturing faith among followers while offering support for family life initiatives (official website).
