The support campaign for Cuba launched by the Vietnam Red Cross has concluded successfully, raising more than $21 million, according to preliminary figures released today in Hanoi.

Initiated on August 13 to mark the 99th birthday of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, the campaign also coincided with the Vietnam–Cuba Friendship Year and the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The initiative officially ended at 11:59:59 p.m. (local time) this Thursday.

According to the most recent report from the Vietnam Red Cross, by 8:00 p.m. yesterday, the organization had received over 2.09 million individual and collective contributions, totaling approximately 555.8 billion dong (more than $21.1 million).

In a Facebook post, the humanitarian organization reflected on the campaign’s beginning just over two months ago, describing it as “a special journey of compassion, gratitude, and deep mutual understanding between the two nations.”

Referring to the campaign’s conclusion, the post noted that “the positive emotions it leaves behind will surely resonate in the hearts of all Vietnamese for a long time.”

On the same platform, user Pham Tran Hoa described as “incredible and impressive the affection of the Vietnamese people toward the people of Cuba,” while Dinh Lan remarked that “if it hadn’t been for the two recent historic floods [that struck Vietnam], the total would have exceeded 650 billion dong.”

The official closing ceremony of the campaign—which reached its initial fundraising goal of 65 billion dong (around $2.4 million) in just 30 hours—will take place tomorrow, Saturday. During the event, winners of the “Vietnam–Cuba: Song of Friendship That Forever Resounds” music composition contest will also be honored.

The competition, launched on August 22 at the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, was described by its president, Do Hong Quan, as not merely an artistic endeavor but “a demonstration of the spirit of international solidarity, especially with the brotherly Cuban people.”

“Beyond material support, we possess an invaluable treasure: the talent, creativity, heart, and emotion of our artists,” said Hong Quan. “With that treasure, we can create songs that will last forever, becoming a bridge that connects the friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.”

Also in attendance, Cuban Ambassador Rogelio Polanco emphasized that “music knows no borders, and the initiative to organize this composition campaign is something we truly appreciate and celebrate, because through melody and lyrics, the friendship between the peoples of Vietnam and Cuba is vividly and emotionally expressed.”