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8/25/2009 (Houston, TX) -- Approximately 700 students at Foerster Elementary School, 14200 Fonmeadow, Houston 77035) in Houston ISD’s West Region will receive pre-packaged school supplies, donated by the Chinese American Relief Effort (also known as C.A.R.E.). The event is scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 2009, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

C.A.R.E. is an alliance of over 20 Chinese-American civic, faith-based, and other nonprofit entities. These entities, along with financial support from Houston’s Chinese-American community, hosted an annual July 4th event and continue to sell raffle tickets for round trip airline tickets in order to raise the $20,000 toward this school supplies charity effort.

United States Representative Al Green, TECO Director and HISD Trustee Larry Marshall are amongst the invited dignitaries who will speak on August 29th. Brief performances featuring Chinese martial arts will also be presented, and Foerster students will sing and perform step dancing. Afterwards, students accompanied by their parents will pick up pre-packaged school supplies from designated classrooms. Channel 2 Reporter Alana Gomez Dong has been invited to serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.

C.A.R.E. was founded in 1993 when members of this alliance wanted to advance a mission of shared common interests and goals of helping the underprivileged, as well as enhancing harmony and communication among ethnic groups in the greater Houston metropolitan area. Many of C.A.R.E.’s earliest projects included provided meals to the homeless at the Star of Hope shelter, renovating a gymnasium stage and building a garden at the Richmond State School, hosting a Chinese New Year Festival for the senior residents at the Goldberg Tower, and building a winter wonderland for the children at Casa de Esperanza. However, CARE’s signature project has been donating school supplies, impacting over 15,000 elementary school students throughout the years.

Each year, at least one elementary school is selected as the recipient of the donated school supplies. C.A.R.E. is presided by Mason Wu, officer of the National Taiwan University Alumni Association. The event chair for the pre-packaged school supplies is Mrs. Shu-Ying Hsu, officer of the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women. C.A.R.E. is a 501 (c) (3) organization.

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