Connecting Together for a Healthy Life
2021-06-05 09:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online on Zoom
A virtual health and wellbeing event
KOM, in partnership with four organizations including the Korean Adoptees Ministry Center, Korean Service Center, and SEWA-Asian Indian Family Wellness, will be leading a virtual health event on June 5th in English, Korean, and Karen. The event itself will be run through educational workshops and campaigns, and will focus on suicide and family violence prevention.

REGISTER HERE!

Order of Events
Welcome and Introduction (9:00 – 9:40 am)
Join here: https://zoom.us/j/96619562583?pwd=[REDACTED]
The goal of the virtual health event is to support participants through sharing resources that can help teach people how to take care of their mental and physical health. In that vein, the fair will begin with a welcome to all participants. An introductory video from the Minnesota Department of Health will be shared, and leaders of the event will be introduced. Additionally, leaders will prepare participants for the following portions of the fair, which include navigating Zoom sessions.
Joint Session (9:40 – 10:50 am)
The following portion of the Virtual Health Fair will involve a joint session entitled Caring for Yourself and Your Family. Concurrent Zoom meetings will deliver this content in different languages, including Karen, Korean, and English. Afterwards, participants will take a short break before choosing what topic of Breakout Practice Session they would like to partake in. Join one of the sessions below:
1. Korean language: Communication Skills for Families by Sharon Lee https://zoom.us/j/99198280091?pwd=[REDACTED]
2. Karen language: Caring for Yourself and Your Family by Lwepaw Kacher & Julyna Loo https://zoom.us/j/95018378896?pwd=[REDACTED]
3. English language: Issues of Asian American Youth and Mental Health By Dr. Lauren Bae https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88539565487
4. English language: Caring for Yourself and Your Family by SEWA-AIFW https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88665539174?pwd=[REDACTED]
Breakout Sessions (11:00 – 11:30 am)
The Breakout Practice Sessions include topics such as Meditation, COVID-19 Resources, Suicide Prevention Resources, and Mandala Art. Each of these sessions will take place in a different Zoom meeting. The emcee will instruct participants on how to navigate to the session of their choosing. Breakout session topics:
1. Race and Xenophobia as It Relates to Mental Health in South Asian Communities by Geetanjali Mittal – Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85489648531?pwd=[REDACTED]
2. Mandala Art by Shruthi Srinivasan – Join here: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/5384123366
3. Meditation & Mindfulness by Nicole Sheppard – Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88539565487
4. Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Resources by NAMI, Minnesota – Join here: https://zoom.us/j/92420296144?pwd=[REDACTED]
5. Ramsey County Crisis Programs and Services at Ramsey County Mental Health Clinic Overview by Charles Goff – Join here: https://zoom.us/j/94564209380?pwd=[REDACTED]
Ask a Therapist (available from 9:30 am – 11:30 am)
Join here: https://zoom.us/my/cmhwrm
Drop in any time to ask questions about mental health supports available in our area, and what happens if you go see a therapist. These drop-in consultations will be provided by the following Wilder Staff:
Gia Xiong, MSW, LICSW, licensed therapist and bilingual in Hmong / English
Bao Moua, MSW, LICSW, licensed therapist and bilingual in Hmong / English
Aye Aye Aung, interpreter / cultural broker, and multilingual in S’gaw and Pwo Karen, Thai, and English
June Way, ARMHS worker (adult skills worker) and multilingual in Karen and English
Conclusion (11:30 am – 12:00 pm)
Join here: https://zoom.us/j/96619562583?pwd=[REDACTED]
To conclude the fair, participants will have the chance to win door prizes! A survey will be also be available to participants to help evaluate the event and help us improve for next year.

REGISTER HERE!

Karen Culture Presentation - ONLINE!
2021-06-18 11:00 - 12:30
Our Karen Culture Presentation is back! What’s new? It’s now online!
Are you interested in learning more about Karen culture? Join us for our Karen Culture Presentation online every other month! During this presentation, participants with learn about the Karen history, culture, and resettlement in the U.S. We will explore the history of the Karen and how they became refugees, and discuss how the Karen have adapted to life in the U.S. We will also give a brief overview of Karen culture, covering everything from food, to clothing, to family, to communication styles, and more. Come with open ears and any questions.
This presentation will be delivered online. Please RSVP by registering for a ticket.
*Suggested donation of $5. Donate here
RSVP here on Eventbrite, where we will send you details about participating in the online event.

71st Anniversary of Karen Martyr's Day
2021-08-14 - 2021-08-15 | Mississippi Creative Arts School, 1575 L'Orient St, St. Paul, MN, 55117, United States
This year, Minnesota’s Karen community is planning to commemorate the 71st Anniversary of Karen Martyr’s Day on Saturday, August 14th and Sunday, August 15th, 2021.
The event will be held outdoors at Mississippi Creative Arts Magnet School.

Event Schedule
The main ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 14th from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.
For the remainder of the event, attendees can visit KCM (Karen Community of Minnesota) food vendors, participate in games, visit the resource fair, and observe sport tournaments. Tournaments include men’s soccer, men and women’s volleyball, and men’s cane ball.

Background
Karen Martyr’s Day is officially on August 12 and commemorates the anniversary of the death of Saw Ba U Gyi (the first president of the Karen National Union) in 1950. Others who have fought for the Karen are also honored in remembrance of the Karen resistance. For more background information, visit KCM’s Facebook event page.

Contact
For general information, please contact:
Thara Nay Htoo 651-529-5066 | sawnay@gmail.com
Thara Taw Klu Moo 651-202-1613
Thara Eh Tah Ku: 651-460-0668 | ekhu@mnkaren.org
For sports, contact:
Thara Million: 651-442-3351
Thara Poe Thay Doh: 651-210-4571
Thara Kelmo: 651-528-1019
Thara Kaw Lah Hay: 651-274-5064
The deadline for sports registration is Saturday, August 7th, 2021.

Sponsorship
If you or your business are interested in being an official sponsor of the Karen Martyr’s Day event, we have four sponsorship packages available with benefits:
❖ Bronze: $150 –a table reserved for your business at the resource fair on Saturday, August 14th. (number of tables limited to space available)
❖ Silver: $300 – Bronze benefits plus business name on ceremony program schedule, and KOM website/social media platforms.
❖ Gold: $600 – Silver benefits plus recognition at the opening and closing ceremony
❖ Platinum: $1,000 –Gold benefits, plus business name and logo printed on the official invitation and welcome to display business banner and speak on the stage.
For more information and to register as a sponsor, please read and complete this 2021 Karen Martyrs’ Day sponsorship letter and form.

COVID-19 Guidelines
1. Wear your mask properly, even if vaccinated
2. Please do your best to remain 6 feet away from others teams.
3. Please bring hand sanitizer
4. Do not share food. Pick up after yourself.

Karen Culture Presentation - ONLINE!
2021-08-20 11:00 - 12:30
Are you interested in learning more about Karen (K’nyaw) culture? Join us for our Karen Culture Presentation online every other month.
During this presentation, participants with learn about the Karen (K’nyaw) history, culture, and resettlement in the U.S. We will explore the history of the Karen and how they became refugees, and discuss how the Karen have adapted to life in the U.S. We will also give a brief overview of Karen culture, covering everything from food, to clothing, to family, to communication styles, and more. Come with open ears and any questions.
This presentation will be delivered online. RSVP on Zoom to one of our upcoming sessions to receive the link:
RSVP here
*Suggested donation of $15 to help cover staff time and preparation:
Donate here
Want to request a presentation for a different date tailored to your group? Please see our Karen Culture Presentations page for more details and to fill out a request.

KOM's Fall 2021 Virtual Fundraiser
2021-11-04 19:00 - 20:00
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting a virtual fundraiser event again this year!
We invite you to join us in learning about exciting new initiatives that KOM has been working on with community partners to address the needs of our youth. We will also feature special guest performances by local Karen musicians. All donations will help support refugees and immigrants in our local community. We hope to see you there!

Watch LIVE Here on YouTube

Event Details
When:
Thursday, November 4th at 7:00pm – 8:00pm CDT
Where:
Livestreamed here on YouTube from The Urban Village
Program:
This year’s program will highlight new initiatives that address the needs of youth in our community. We will have special musical guests, a live raffle drawing, and more!
Tickets:
Free! Please consider making a donation to support refugees and immigrants in our local community. Any donation you make will be matched up to $10,000 by our sponsors!
Register here & double your gift!

Meet our special guest musicians
Titer Haw Min
Although her parents are not singers, ever since she was little, Titer Haw Min loved singing. She was born in Mae La Oo Refugee Camp in Thailand after her parents and relatives fled Burma. Titer resettled to the United States in 2013 with her family and is now 13 years old. She dreams of becoming a singing star in the future. Currently, she stays busy by singing at events around the community. She hopes to inspire and uplift her Karen community through her voice and songs. Titer is empathetic, kind, and thoughtful. At 13, she has already accomplished a lot, and will keep moving forward until she achieves her dreams.
Rebeca Paw Moo
Rebeca Paw Moo is part of a talented Karen musical family, well-known by previous generations for their singing. Her father plays many instruments, including guitar, keyboard, and bass. Coming from a musical family tree, Rebeca’s passion for singing started shortly after learning how to talk. She was born in Mae La Refugee Camp in Thailand and came to the United States with her family as a baby in 2008. Rebeca is now 13 going on 14 years old. As the oldest of four kids, Rebeca is responsible for helping to take care of her younger siblings. When life proves difficult, singing often helps motivate her. When she grows up, she hopes to become a professional singer and use her platform to help the Karen community and uplift those living in poverty. Regardless of if she achieves fame, she will continue singing from her heart.

Raffle
Our raffle is now closed. Tune in on Thursday, November 4th to find out who won!
KOM will hold a live raffle drawing during the event for 10 prizes including:

Karen Art and Textiles | 55” Smart TV | Gold Necklace | GoPro Hero 9 | AirPods Pro | Rice Cooker | Air Fryer | Bailey Nurseries Plants
Read our KOM House Rules for Raffle for more info about who can buy raffle tickets, where to pick up prizes, required payment options, and more.
For questions regarding the raffle, please contact:
Eh Tah Khu | (651)202-3114 | ekhu@mnkaren.org
Alexis Walstad | (651)202-3120 | awalstad@mnkaren.org

Sponsors
Interested in sponsoring our event? Find the various sponsorship levels and benefits in our Sponsor Invitation Letter.
Register online by credit card, or use this form to mail your sponsor registration.
Please contact Alexis Walstad at awalstad@mnkaren.org or 651-202-3120 for questions about sponsorship.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors
Center for Victims of Torture
Prodeo Academy

Check back on this page for updates about the event.

2761 Karen New Year Celebration
2022-01-01 09:00 - 18:00 | Washington Technology Magnet School, 1495 Rice Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55117, United States
Join us for the celebration of the 2761 Karen New Year on Saturday, January 1st, 2022!
The event will take place at Washington Technology Magnet School from 9:00AM until 6:00PM. There will be a main ceremony in the morning followed by a singing competition and traditional culture show in the afternoon.
Masks will be required for all attendees. More info about COVID-19 safety guidelines to come.
Main contacts for the event: Thara Nay Htoo, (651)-529-5066 and Thara Eh Tah Khu, (651)-460-0668

Details and requirements for the afternoon activities…

Singing Competition: begins at 12:00pm

Contestants can sign up as an individual or with a group of up to 5 members
The song must be a Karen New Year song or a Karen culture song
Contestants have to provide their own karaoke music
Contestants age range: 13-25 years old
Registration fee is $50 per contestant/group
Max entries is 25 contestants/groups
Deadline to sign up is Saturday, December 25th, 2021

Contact info for singing competition: Thara Paw Ter, (612)-859-1420, and Thara Eh Tah Khu (651)-460-0668
Karen Traditional Culture Show: begins at 3:00pm

Contestants must sign up in pairs of two: one female and one male
Contestants must wear Karen clothing with either a traditional or modern design
Age range: 16-35 years old
Registration fee per pair is $30
Max entries is 25 pairs
Deadline to sign up is Saturday, December 25th, 2021

Contact info for culture show: Tharamu Aye Mya Pyu (651)-235-0327, and Tharamu Paw Wah Toe (651)-207-7557

Interested in sponsoring the event? Contact Alexis Walstad at awalstad@mnkaren.org or 651-202-3120 or Eh Tah Khu at ekhu@mnkaren.org or 651-202-3114

Info Session: Interpreter Training Program
2022-03-08 18:00 - 19:00, 2022-04-05 18:00 - 19:00, 2022-04-19 18:00 - 19:00, 2022-05-03 18:00 - 19:00 | Online on Zoom
Join one of our online info sessions to learn about our free Interpreter Training Program! Happening on Tuesday, April 5th, 19th, and May 3rd from 6-7PM.

Join the online Zoom Meeting here.

Come learn about the program schedule, requirements, and how to register. Bring any questions you may have! Feel free to share with others who may also like to attend.

Program Structure:
Level I: Complete a 1-credit course at Century College and a language proficiency exam
Level II: Earn the 40-hour Community Interpreter Certificate
Level III: Complete 9 credits at Century College

Contact Lisa Gibson at 651-243-1235 (call/text) or lgibson@mnkaren.org

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
2022-04-23 10:00 - 12:00, 2022-05-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Hosanna Karen Baptist Church, 1818 E Gervais CT, Maplewood, MN, 55109, United States
Do you or your family members need a COVID-19 vaccine or booster? We are organizing a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic with the Minnesota Department of Health for everyone age 5 and older.
Come whether you are unvaccinated and need to start your 2 dose series, or completed your 2 dose series more than 5 months ago and are 12 or older. All children age 5 and older can also receive their vaccine. If you’ve already received your 1st booster dose, you may be eligible for an additional booster.

Dates:
First dose: 10AM – 12PM, Saturday, April 23
Second dose: 10AM – 12PM, Saturday, May 14
Location:
Hosanna Karen Baptist Church
1818 E Gervais CT, Maplewood, MN 55109

Karen interpretation will be available.
Call Julyna Loo at 651-202-3128 to sign-up!

*Pfizer vaccines are available for all ages 5+
*Pfizer boosters available for age 12+
*Children age 5-17 must be with a parent/guardian

Art in the Hollow
2022-06-04 10:00 - 17:00 | Swede Hollow Park, 665 Greenbrier St, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
Our Karen Weaving Circle will be at the Art in the Hollow festival on Saturday, June 4th from 10am – 5pm.
Stop by our table to view our weavers beautiful hand-made pieces, including Karen shirts, bags, scarves, and table placements, available for purchase. Hope to see you there!

72nd Commemoration of Karen Martyrs’ Day
2022-08-06 08:00 - 20:00, 2022-08-07 08:00 - 20:00 | HealthEast Sports Center Red Fields, 4200 Pioneer Dr, Woodbury, MN, 55129, United States
We invite you to join us and the community the first weekend in August to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of Karen Martyrs’ Day.
Location
HealthEast Sports Center Red Fields
(near East Ridge High School)
4200 Pioneer Dr
Woodbury, MN 55129
Daily parking fee is $10
Schedule
Dates: Saturday, August 6th & Sunday, August 7th, 2022
Time: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
The main ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 6th from 8:00 am to 9:00 am.
For the remainder of the event, attendees can visit KCM food vendors, participate in games, and observe sport tournaments. Tournaments include men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s volleyball, and men’s cane ball.
For more information please contact: Ku Hser 651-332-9992; Jesse 651-987-3203; Thara Nay Htoo 651-529-5066; Thara Eh Tah Ku: 651-460-0668

Sports Tournament Information
Men’s Soccer: Thara Million 651-442-3351; Gay Moo Hser 651-500-9584; Saw Lah Set 651-500-3876
Women’s Soccer: Tu Lor 651-200-9847
Men’s and Women’s Volleyball: Thara Poe Thay Doh 651-210-4571; Thara KD Soe 651-239-8886
Caneball: Yaza 651-428-6328
Sport Registration due date – 07/25/2022.
For all other questions about the sports tournament please contact Thara Million 651-442-3351 or Thara Poe Thay Doh 65–210-4571.
Note: All sports team players must be in main ceremony because our goal is to honor Saw Ba U Gyi, the first president of Karen National Union and those who have died or been injured fighting for the independence of the Karen. The main ceremony will be held on Saturday morning from 8am to 9am.

Sponsorship
There are four sponsorship packages available with the following benefits:

Bronze: $200 –a table reserved for your business at the resource fair on Saturday, August 6th/7th. (This includes both days)
Silver: $500 – Bronze benefits plus business name on flyers, program schedule, and our website/social media platforms.
Gold: $1000 – Silver benefits plus an opportunity to speak for 5 minutes during our “get to know the sponsors” part of the program (interpreters provided).
Platinum: $2,500 –Gold benefits, plus a 3 minute interview/commercial (translated into Karen if desired) and played during the event and after the event on our social media/YouTube channels (a combined following of 45,000 people)

Register as a sponsor here!

Brief History of Karen Martyrs’ Day
The Karen’s are an indigenous people in the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand and Burma. In Burma, the Karen’s are the second largest ethnic group. The Karen aided the British during World War II, when the Japanese occupied the region. Many Karen were slaughtered, by both Japanese and Burma Independence Army soldiers.
After the war ended, Burma was granted independence in 1948 from Britain. The Karen, led by the Karen National Union (KNU), have been struggling for freedom, national equality, democracy and peace for several decades.
The Karen struggle has the aim of achieving a genuine federal on the political basis of equality and self-determination for all the ethnic people in Burma.
On August 12, 1950, Karen National leader Saw Ba U Gyi, who was the founder and president of the Karen National Union (KNU), was assassinated along with eight of his colleagues in Kawkareik, Karen State (Burma) by Burmese Army. Since then August 12 is recognized as Karen National Martyrs’ Day.
On Martyrs Day Karen people all over the world commemorate and honour fallen leaders, soldiers, and civilians that have lost their lives in the struggle for freedom, democracy, human rights and national equality in Burma.
Due to the ongoing attacks by the Burmese Army, more than one hundred thousand Karen refugees are currently taking refuge in the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. A significant number of Karen recently migrated to western countries under the refugee resettlement program. And now around twenty thousands are residing in the Minnesota.
Come and join us for the remembrance of our loved ones who had sacrificed their lives for our Karen struggle to live free from oppression.

Solidarity Street Gallery 2022: Resilient Generations
2022-09-09 17:00 - 22:00, 2022-09-10 12:00 - 22:00 | 965 Payne Ave, 965 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, 55106
Our Karen Weaving Circle will be selling and displaying hand-woven items as a part of the Solidarity Street Gallery.
Stop by our table on Payne Ave this weekend, September 9th and 10th to see these hand-woven pieces up closed and in-person. Our weaving instructors, as well as some youth from our summer weaving classes, will be doing live weaving demonstrations on backstrap looms both Friday and Saturday. They will also have items available for purchase including scarves, bags, shirts, and more!
About the larger event
SOLIDARITY STREET GALLERY is an annual Arts and Cultural festival on Saint Paul’s Eastside. The Solidarity Street Gallery, in its 3rd year, is an artistic celebration of the richly diverse community on the East Side of Saint Paul. This year’s festival theme is RESILIENT GENERATIONS; centered around the Southeast Asian Community on the Eastside. All are welcome to attend and take in a curated arts and cultural experience that highlights Southeast Asian Culture and History.
For two days in September, Payne Avenue will transform into a lively street fair including visual art exhibitions in dozens of storefronts along the avenue, a maker’s market with several vendors, collaborative community art projects and community activities, and the main stage where visitors will gather to take in a host of high-quality performance art throughout the weekend. Join us on September 9th and 10th for the 2022 Solidarity Street Gallery!
When:
Friday, September 9th, 2022, 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Saturday, September 10th, 2022, 12:00pm – 10:00pm
Where:
Art displays, stages, and vendors all down Payne Ave in Saint Paul’s East Side neighborhood. KOM Weaving Circle will be at 965 Payne Avenue, at the corner of Payne and Case.
Visit the Instagram and Facebook posts for more information!

KOM Gala 2022
2022-11-03 17:30 - 21:00 | Inwood Oaks, 484 Inwood Ave. N, Oakdale, MN, 55128, United States
We are thrilled to announce that after two years of virtual programming, KOM is bringing back our Annual Gala live and in-person! This year, our gala will be held at the Inwood Oaks Event Center in Oakdale, Minnesota on Thursday, November 3rd, 2022, 5:30pm – 9:00pm.
The Annual Gala is KOM’s premier fundraising and community building event bringing together community leaders, elected officials, service partners, volunteers, and donors for a special evening. This year’s event promises to be a joyful reunion for past event attendees and an opportunity to welcome new supporters to learn more about our work. With more than 10 new staff, 5 new programs, and thousands of people impacted since 2019, we have a lot to share with you whether you’re new to KOM or a longtime friend!

Registration is now closed. Thank you!
If you would like to support KOM’s fundraiser, but are unable to attend the event, you can purchase raffle tickets from KOM staff before November 3rd to be entered into the drawing. Raffle ticket buyers do not have to be present at the gala to win.
Sponsorship
Sponsor registration is now closed. Gala sponsors, please see our chart, 2022 Gala Sponsorship Packages, for details about pricing and benefits for each sponsorship level. Find our full KOM 2022 Gala Sponsor Letter here.
If you have questions about the event, please contact Alexis Walstad at (651)202-3120 or events@mnkaren.org.

Raffle
Not able to attend the gala this year? You can still support KOM by entering in our raffle! KOM will hold a live raffle drawing during the gala for over 15 prizes! Raffle ticket buyers do not need to be present at the event to win. Prizes include the following:
Art & Textiles
Karen Painting | Karen Necklace & Storage Container | Karen Woven Scarf | Karen Woven Shirts | Karen Woven Table Placements and Pieces | Karen Traditional Horn
Experiences
2 Theater Mu Mainstage Tickets | 2 Chanhassen Dinner Theater Mainstage Dinner and Show Tickets | Minnesota United Gift Pack | 4 Theater Tickets from Stages Theatre Company
Food & Drink
Karen Dinner for 8 at your home | Rice Cooker | Coffee and Bamboo Coffee Dripper | $50 Caribou Coffee Gift Card, 2 Travel Mugs and a Bag of Coffee Beans
Other Items
$250 R. F. Moeller Gift Certificate | Amazon Echo Buds, Echo Show, Echo Auto, and Echo Dot | Smart TV | $100 Gas Card and Hoodie | Bailey Nurseries Plants | Impact 1000 Rangefinder
Buy Tickets
Raffle tickets are $20 each and must be purchased in-person from KOM staff or board members. Stop by our office to buy your raffle tickets today!

Read our KOM House Rules for Raffle for more information about who can buy raffle tickets, where to pick up prizes, required payment options, and more.
For questions regarding the raffle, please contact Eh Tah Khu or Alexis Walstad.

Event Details
We welcome guests for a social hour, dinner, live entertainment by Karen artists, raffle drawing, and program to share highlights of our work. Proceeds from the gala will benefit KOM’s expanded services including youth chemical health, financial coaching, housing stability, and youth leadership initiatives.
Attire
Business or cocktail attire. Traditional cultural clothing is welcome.
Parking
Inwood Oaks Event Center offers easy access off I-94, and parking is free in the lot.
COVID-19 Safety
Masks are welcome, but not required for attending the event. We expect to host around 300 guests in a room with a capacity of 800 to allow for appropriate spacing and air flow. Please contact us at events@mnkaren.org if you have any questions.
Live Music Entertainment
We are excited to announce that Eh Ler Tha, Eh Wah, and their daughter Htar Law Eh will be our special guest musicians performing at the gala. Hear a message from them below:

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors
Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors
Bethesda Family Medicine Clinic
Lexdan Automotive
SKD Auto Transport

2762 Karen New Year Celebration
2022-12-17 09:30 - 21:00 | Washington Technology Magnet School, 1495 Rice Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55117, United States
Join us for the celebration of the 2762 Karen New Year on Saturday, December 17th, 2022!
The event will take place at Washington Technology Magnet School from 9:30 am until 9:00 pm. There will be a main ceremony in the morning followed by a resource fair, traditional culture show competition, and a volleyball tournament.

The Karen New Year Celebration is an important event in the community that celebrates new beginnings and reflects on the past year. Over 1,000 Karen and other community members are expected to share in the festivities while cultivating friendships and participating in Karen cultural traditions. A complete schedule of events includes:
9:30 am – 12:00 pm Main Program
9:30 am – 5:00 pm Resource Fair
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm Traditional culture show competition
8:00 am – 9:00 pm Volleyball competition
Main contacts for the event: Nay Htoo, Event Chair (651)-529-5066, sawnay@gmail.com and Eh Tah Khu, Resource Fair (651)-460-0668, ekhu@mnkaren.org

Sponsorship Opportunities
Interested in sponsoring the event? Your sponsorship will show your agency’s support for the Karen community and keep this event free and accessible for all community members. Contact Alexis Walstad at awalstad@mnkaren.org, 651-202-3120 or Eh Tah Khu at ekhu@mnkaren.org, 651-202-3114.
Register Online for 2762 Karen New Year Sponsorship

2762 Karen New Year Sponsor Letter (PDF)
2762 Karen New Year Sponsor Registration Form (PDF)

Volleyball Rules:

Due to the fact that we will be playing a one-day tournament, we will accept only 8 men’s and women’s volleyball teams. We will only allow Karen, Karenni, and all ethnicities in Burma.
All teams must have uniforms and only 10 players are allowed per team.
Team Captain or Manager must fill our registration form before December 14 and pay all fees.
We will be having a drawing competition on December 16 at 6 pm.

Awards:

First Place – $1000 with trophy and medal
Second Place – $700 with trophy and medal
Best Setter, Spiker, and Defender award

Registration fees are $250 and are due on December 15.
Women’s Volleyball Contact: Htee Moo Shee at 651-447-0489
Men’s Volleyball Contact: Kaw Doh Soe at 651-239-8886
For other questions about the tournament, please contact Thara Million at 651-442-3351 or Thara Poe Thay Doh at 651-210-4571
Thank You to Our Event Sponsors!

KCOM's 2762 Karen New Year Celebration
2023-01-01 10:00 - 15:00 | Washington Technology Magnet School, 1495 Rice Street, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55117, United States
Join Karen Culture Organization of Minnesota at their Karen New Year Celebration! It was be a joyous celebration!

Sunday, January 1, 2023
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Washington Technology Magnet School at 1495 Rice St, St Paul, MN 55117

For questions, please contact Kyaw Kyaw Lwin at 651-417-2650 or Mahn Kyaw Kaing at 651-512-3971.

A Conversation with the Karen Community on the Juvenile Justice System and Substance Use
2023-04-01 09:00 - 12:30 | First Baptist Church, 499 Wacouta Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
We welcome Karen parents and families to come and hear from the Saint Paul Police Department, Ramsey County Probation, and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor. A Karen interpreter will be available at this event.
Community Education and Conversation Agenda တ​ဝၢ​တၢ်​သိၣ်​လိ​နဲၣ်​လိ​ဒီး​တၢ်​က​တိၤ​သ​ကိး​တၢ်​အ​တၢ်​ရဲၣ်​လီၤ​
April 1, 2023
လါ​အ့​ဖြ့ၣ်​ ၁​ သီ​, ၂၀၂၃​ နံၣ်​
9:00 AM – 9:10 AM Introduction and Welcome
တၢ်​က​တိၤ​ဆှၢ​နုာ်​ဒီး​တၢ်​တူၢ်​လိာ်​မုာ်​
9:10 AM – 9:55 AM Presentation by the Saint Paul Police Department Gang Unit
ပှၤ​ဆှၢ​နုာ်​ဒု​:သ့ၣ်​ညါ​တၢ်​ လၢ​ ဝ့ၢ်​စ့ၣ်​ဖီ​လ်​ပၢၤ​ကီၢ်​ဝဲၤ​ကျိၤ​ လၢ​အ​မူ​ဒါ​မ့ၢ်၀ဲ​တၢ်​တြီ​ဃာ်​က​ရၢ​သ့ၣ်​တ​ဖၣ်​လၢ​အ​မၤ​ညီ​နုၢ်​တၢ်​ဟူး၈ဲၤ​, လၢ​အ​ထီ​ဒါ​ပ​ဒိၣ်​သဲ​စး​တၢ်​ဘျၢ​
9:55 AM – 10:40 AM Presentation by Ramsey County Probation
ပှၤ​ဆှၢ​နုာ်​ဒုး​သ့ၣ်​ညါ​တၢ်​ လၢ​ ရဲၣ်​မ​စံၣ်​ခီ​ထံၣ်​ သဲ​စး​အ​တၢ်​ပျဲ​ပူၤ​ဖျဲး​သ​နိ​
10:40 AM – 11:40 AM Presentation by Wayside Recovery Center Chief Clinical Officer/Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) ပှၤ​ဆှၢ​နုာ်​ဒုး​သ့ၣ်​ညါ​တၢ်​လၢ​ Wayside တၢ်​ဘျူး​က့​ဘျါ​က့ၤ​ဝဲၤ​လီၢ်​မူ​ဒါ​ခိၣ်​/သံး​ဒီး​က​သံၣ်​မူၤ​ဘှီး​တၢ်​ဘျူး​က့ၤ​ဘျါ​က့ၤ​ပှၤ​ဟ့ၣ်​ကူၣ်​တၢ်​
11:40 AM – 12:30 PM Conversation with Community Youth Workers
တ​တၢ်​က​တိၤ​သ​ကိး​တၢ်​ဒီး​တ​ဝၢ​ပှၤ​မၤ​သ​ကိး​တၢ်​ဒီး​သး​စၢ်​တ​ဖၣ်​
*Lunch will be served after the event
*ဖဲ​တၢ်​ရဲၣ်​တၢ်​ကျဲၤ​ဝံၤ​အိၣ်​ဃုာ်​ဒီး​မုၢ်​ထူၣ်​တၢ်​အီၣ်​
Contact
Kaziah Josiah – SPPD Community Engagement Specialist | 651-417-5824
Mar Htay – KOM Youth Case Manager | 651-202-6154
Contact us if you need transportation or have any questions about the community conversation.

API Day at the Capitol 2023
2023-04-11 09:00 - 14:00 | Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Saint Paul, MN, 55155, United States
Save the date for API Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 11th, 2023!
The Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans and local and state nonprofit organizations will co-host the 2023 Asian and Pacific Islander Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. All Minnesotans are invited to attend.
API Day is an annual Council event designed to bring together Minnesotans of Asian and Pacific Islander (API) descent to rally together, increase their knowledge of the state policymaking process, and directly connect with legislators about the issues that matter most to them. All are welcome and strongly encouraged to attend 2023 API Day. No previous political or legislative experience is required.
The 2023 API Day at the Capitol will take place in the Capitol rotunda. Doors open at 9:00 am, and the rally will begin at 10:00 am. Speakers are anticipated to include individuals working in childhood education, the Minnesota legislature, local API community-based organizations, and others. No registration is required. Seating is first come, first served. The event will also be livestreamed on the Council’s Facebook page.

Minnesota Karen American Day
2023-05-20 10:00 - 15:00 | American Veterans Memorial Park, 57th Avenue, Cannon Falls, Minnesota, 55009
Join the Karen Community of Minnesota on Saturday, May 20th for Minnesota Karen American Day!
Honor Karen culture and the Karen community this Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Celebrations include dance performances, Karen singers and musicians, food vendors, and more. Held at the new American Veterans Memorial Park as part of their API Heritage Month Celebrations. Other celebrations throughout the month at the park include Hmong American Day on May 14th and MN Korean American Day on May 21st.
Date: Saturday, May 20th, 2023
Time: 10AM – 3PM
Location: American Veterans Memorial Park, at the intersection of County Rd 14 and Highway 52 in Cannon Falls, MN 55009
Parking: FREE for Karen American Day
Admission: $8.00 (kids under 5 and elders over 65 are free; veterans and active duty soldiers are 50% off)

Welcome Corps: Info Session for the Karen Community
2023-06-03 10:00 - 12:00 | First Baptist Church, 499 Wacouta Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55101, United States
We have been receiving many questions from the community about the new Welcome Corps program, launched by the U.S. Department of State in early 2023.
From the Welcome Corps website: “The Welcome Corps is a program of the U.S. Department of State that empowers everyday Americans to welcome refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).”
As we continue to learn more about this new program, we have invited representatives from the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Alight to provide an information session about Welcome Corps to our community. They will give an overview of the program, talk about Alight’s role in supporting refugee sponsors, and have plenty of time for Q&A. There will be Karen interpreters at the event.
KOM က​ညီ​ က​ရၢ​မဲၣ်​နံၣ်​စိ​ထၣ်​ ဒီး​တၢ်​က​ရၢ​က​ရိ​လၢ​အ​ဆီၣ်​ထွဲ​မၤ​စၢၤ​အီၤ​ ဒ်​အ​မ့ၢ်​ ALIGHT, ဒီး​ Refugee Resettlement Programs Office ပှၤ​ဘၣ်​ကီ​ဘၣ်​ခဲ​တၢ်​သုး​လီၢ်​သုး​ကျဲ၀ဲၤ​ကျိၤ​အ၀ဲၤ​ဒၢး​ လၢ​အ​ဘၣ်​ဒီၤ​း​ Minnesota Department of Human Services မဲၣ်​နံၣ်​စိ​ထၣ်​ပ​ဒိၣ်​ တၢ်​အံး​ထွဲ​ကွၢ်​ထွဲ​က​မျၢၢ်​ဝဲၤ​ကျိၤ​ က​အိၣ်​ဒီး​တၢ်​ဒုး​နၢ်​ပၢၢ်​အါ​ထီၣ်​တၢ်​ဂ့ၢ်​တၢ်​ကျိၤ​လၢ​လာ်​တ​ဖၣ်​အံၤ​န့ၣ်​လီၤ​.

Welcome Corps အ​ဂ့ၢ်​အ​ကျိၤ​ကျၢၢ်​တံၢ်​
Alight အ​မူ​အ​ဒါ​ဘၣ်​ဃး​တၢ်​ဆီၤ​ထွဲ​မၤ​စၢၤ​ပှၤ​ကွဲး​မုာ်​တၢ်​ sponsors တ​ဖၣ်​
တၢ်​ဆၢ​က​တီၢ်​လၢ​ တၢ်​သံ​ကွၢ်​စံး​ဆၢ​အ​ဂီၢ်​

တၢ်​ရဲၣ်​တၢ်​ကျဲၤ​အံၤ​ဘၣ်​တၢ်​ဒုး​ကဲ​ထီၣ်​အီၤ​လၢ​ KOM က​ညီ​က​ရၢ​မဲၣ်​နံၣ်​စိ​ထၣ်​န့ၣ်​လီၤ​. ပှၤ​လၢ​က​က​တိၤ​ကျိာ်​ထံ​တၢ်​ဆူ​က​ညီ​ကျိာ်​အိၣ်​စ့ၢ်​ကီး​န့ၣ်​လီ​.

Please share this information session widely with members of the Karen community so they can learn about this program and ask any questions they may have.

Art in the Hollow 2023
2023-06-03 10:00 - 17:00 | Swede Hollow Park, 665 Greenbrier St, Saint Paul, MN, 55106, United States
The Weaving Program at the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM) is thrilled to announce that we will be showcasing our incredible artwork at the upcoming Art in the Hollow event!
Join us on June 3rd, 2023 from 10:00AM – 5:00 PM at Swede Hollow Park for a celebration of art, culture, and community.
Dive into the vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and rich heritage of the Karen people through our weaving traditions. Our talented weavers have crafted stunning textiles and exquisite accessories that reflect the beauty and resilience of our community. By supporting the Weaving Program at KOM, you uplift local artists and help preserve our cultural heritage. Join us in celebrating our artistry and traditions!
Mark your calendars, spread the word, and be sure to visit our booth at Art in the Hollow. Witness the artistry, learn about our weaving techniques, and take home a piece of our rich tapestry.
We can’t wait to see you there!
For more information about the event visit http://www.artinthehollow.org/. Learn more about the Weaving Program at KOM.
#ArtInTheHollow #WeavingProgramatKOM
#KarenCommunity #CulturalHeritage
#SupportLocalArtists

Twin Cities World Refugee Day 2023
2023-06-11 12:00 - 17:00 | Centennial Park, 6301 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, MN, 55430, United States
Coming June 11, 2023!
#TCWRD is a Festival That Aims To…
Recognize the thousands of refugees living in our state and celebrate the diversity of cultures and experiences that they bring to our community.
Raise awareness around refugee issues, including: international conflicts and violence that create refugee crises, the refugee resettlement process both here and abroad, and the challenges and opportunities faced by refugees after resettling in Minnesota.
Build a cultural bridge between longtime Minnesota residents and our newest community members.
This celebration of culture and life brings Minnesotans together to recognize and uplift the diverse gifts that refugees bring to our state. Event-goers enjoy free live entertainment, food and vendors from around the world, children’s activities, a community resource fair, and interactive educational displays. In partnership with the City of Brooklyn Center, join us on June 11 at Centennial Park (6301 Shingle Creek Pkwy, Brooklyn Center, MN) from 12 pm – 5 pm!
Info taken from CAPI’s website at https://www.capiusa.org/world-refugee-day/

73rd Commemoration of Karen Martyrs’ Day
2023-08-12 - 2023-08-13 | Todd Park, 11th Street and, 21st Ave NE, Austin, MN, 55912, United States
Join us in the 73rd commemoration of Karen Martyr’s Day, It will be held this year on August 12th and 13th to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Saw Ba U Gyi (one of the early leaders of the Karen National Union) in 1950. Others who have fought for the Karen are also honored in remembrance of the Karen resistance.
This year, Minnesota’s Karen community will commemorate the event in Austin, MN, about a 2 hour drive from Saint Paul. Many Karen families live in the towns of Austin and neighboring Albert Lea, and leaders hope to see many of our Southern MN families as well as Saint Paul residents coming together.

Contact Persons for general information
Nay Htoo (651) 529-5066
Eh Tah Khu (651) 460-0668
Wah Paw (507) 318-0809

Sports Tournament Information
Men Soccer – 1st place -$7,500, 2nd place $4,500. Register fee $500 + Deposit $100 = $600
Women Soccer – 1st place $2,000, 2nd place $1000. Register Fee = $350
Cane Ball– 1st place – $2,500, 2nd place – $1,500. Register fee = $250
Volleyball Men/Women– 1st place $3,000, 2nd place $1,500. Register fee = $300
Sports Contact:
Kyaw Million (651)442-3351
Klo Wah (507) 383-4284

Vendor Information
Food Vendors – Register fee = $500
Clothing Vendors – Register Fee = $250
Vendor Contact:
David (507) 481-7538

Karen Traditional Wrist-Tying Ceremony
2023-08-19 08:00 - 2023-08-20 17:00 | 43695 Peaceful Valley RdHarris, MN 55032
The Karen Wrist-Tying Ceremony is an annual event held in August. The Karen people tie threads around their wrists as a way to protect themselves from illness and preserve their cultural heritage. Festivities such as a feast and traditional dancing usually follow the ceremony.
For more detail about the Events Categories:

Saturday, Aug 19th:
Soccer, Volleyball, and Takraw Tournament: 8 am – 7 pm
Concert: 7 pm – 11 pm

Sunday, Aug 20th
MAIN EVENT: KAREN TRADITIONAL WRIST TYING CEREMONY: 10 am -5 pm

Learn More about Karen Wrist-Tying Ceremony at: https://mnkaren.org/history-culture/karen-culture/celebrations/ under the Karen Community Events.

Online Welcome Corps Info Session
2023-08-19 11:00 - 12:00
The Karen Organization of America (KOA) and Karen Community of Minnesota (KCM) will be hosting an online Welcome Corp Program’s information session to be held on August 19 at 11:00 AM Central Daylight Time/12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time for the Karen community. If you want to know more about refugee sponsorship and how to start a process under Welcome Corp Program please join the meeting and ask questions.
Since this meeting will be held online, it is open to anyone.
Zoom meeting ID: 850 6257 0766 Passcode: KOA

Homebuyer Education for Karen Speakers
2023-09-16 08:30 - 17:00 | The Urban Village, 1082 Arcade Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55116, United States
Buying a house can be overwhelming, but you can do it!

Join us in-person on Saturday, September 16th from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM for our Karen Home Stretch Homebuyer Education Workshop
(တၢ်​က​တဲာ်​က​တီၤ​သး​လၢ​တၢ်​ပှ့ၤ​ဟံၣ်​ပှ့ၤ​ဃီ​အ၈ီၢ်​တၢ်​မၤ​လိ​လၢ​က​ညီ​ကျိ​).

Register TODAY!

For Karen language assistance, contact MuMu Aye at (612) 888-2245
(န​မ့ၢ်​လိၣ်​တၢ်​မၤ​စၢၤ​လၢ​တၢ်​ဆဲး​လီၤ​မံၤ​အ​ဂီၢ်​န့ၣ်​ဆဲး​ကျၢ​ သ​ရၣ်​မုၣ်​မူၣ်​မူၣ်​အ့​ ဖဲ​ ၆၁၂​ ၈၈၈​ ၃၃၄၅​).

We walk through all the steps of purchasing a home so that you can better understand how the process works and be equipped with information that makes you a confident and powerful purchaser. These 8-hour interactive workshops are taught by homeownership advisors and mortgage and real estate professionals, so you will have a chance to get answers to your questions directly from the experts!
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Set yourself up for success by attending a workshop. People who participate in education before buying a home are more likely to have a successful experience, including keeping up on their mortgage payments after they buy. Home Stretch isn’t just for first-time buyers, either; they can be a great way to find out how markets and mortgage rules have changed.
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Pre-registration is required and September classes are free. Please note that the registration window closes on September 13, 2023.
