[00:00:02]
[Press Conference: “See to Succeed Program”]
UH, I ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING, AND IT ALWAYS JUST, UH, LIGHTS YOU UP TO SEE THE INCREDIBLE IMPACT.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, THE WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT YOU, THAT YOU MANAGE EVERY DAY.
SO WE ARE, UM, SO HAPPY THAT EVERYONE IS JOINED HERE, AND WE'D LOVE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM THE PARTNERS OF THE PROGRAM AND SUPPORTERS OF THE PROGRAM WHO MAKE THIS ALL POSSIBLE.
AND I WOULD LIKE FIRST TO, UM, INTRODUCE STEVEN WILLIAMS, WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW STEVEN, UM, LEADS ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IN THE COUNTRY, AND REALLY HAS THE VISION TO UNDERSTAND THE BROAD RANGE OF ISSUES THAT IMPACT SOMEONE'S HEALTH, AND, UM, PARTICULARLY FOCUSING ON VULNERABLE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE IN HOUSTON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE.
AND IT'S ALWAYS JUST A PLEASURE AND HONOR TO WORK WITH STEVEN AND UNDER HIS DIRECTION.
IT'S ONLY, IT'S LESS THAN 10 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE, SO THAT MADE IT A REAL GOOD DEAL.
SO,
AND AS YOU HEARD, WE'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS, BUT I'M STILL IN OUR, BECAUSE WHEN I SEE THE, THE, THE, THE STUDENTS GOING THROUGH THE LINE AND I LOOK AT THEIR FACES AND I RECOGNIZE THE IMPACT THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE ON THEIR LIVES.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I JUST SMILE AND I HEARD JC TALK ABOUT, UM, HOW THIS IS THE BEST JOB SHE'S EVER HAD.
THEN SHE INTRODUCED PATRICIA, BUT SHE DIDN'T TELL YOU AS THE BEFORE SHE HAD THE JOB, PATRICIA HAD THE JOB,
AND I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE JUDY HARRIS, WHO'S MY CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, SOMEBODY HAS TO ACTUALLY DO THE REAL WORK WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE IS VISIONING AND DREAMING UP THIS STUFF.
AND SO SHE'S ACTUALLY BEEN A LEAD ON THAT.
ONE HISTORICAL POINT IS THAT THIS PROGRAM WAS ACTUALLY STARTED BY OUR RANK AND FOUL STAFF WHO WAS WORKING WITH A NONPROFIT CALLED ONE SITE OUTTA CHICAGO.
AND THEN IT WAS THROUGH OUR, OUR, OUR PARTNERING WITH OTHER FOLKS THAT YOU HEARD ABOUT, THAT WE DEVELOPED THIS INTO SOMETHING THAT IS OF OUR OWN.
I'M REALLY PLEASED TO HAVE, UH, CHRIS NEWPORT, WHO'S OUR MAYOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF, AND REBECCA WILLIAMS, WHOSE NAME I LOVE, BECAUSE THAT'S MY GRANDMOTHER'S NAME, UH, UH, HERE REPRESENTING, REPRESENTING THE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, THIS PROGRAM HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS AND HAVE HAD TREMENDOUS IMPACT.
AND I'M GLAD TO SAY THAT OVER THE YEARS WE'VE SEEN MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND CHILDREN, A HUNDRED THOUSAND CHILDREN.
YOU KNOW, THE MISSION ACTUALLY NEVER CHANGES, BUT BASICALLY, UH, YOU, YOU SEE THE OPERATIONS AS IT RELATES TO DIVISION, BUT WHAT YOU DON'T SEE IS THE INTENSIVE OUTREACH THAT OUR STAFF REALLY HAVE TO DO TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THOSE PER MISSION SLIPS AND AFTER EVEN THE, THE PRESCRIPTION IS WRITTEN THAT THEY ACT, THE KIDS ACTUALLY GET THE GLASSES.
AND SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO MY STAFF WHO PUT ALL OF THAT EFFORT IN TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE WE ARE THAT SAFETY NET PROVIDER.
AND AS I TOLD YOU EARLIER, 38% OF THESE KIDS HAVE MEDICAID, AND ACTUALLY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE SEEN BY THEIR PROVIDER, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
UH, DOCTOR TOLD YOU ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT REALLY OCCUR WHEN KIDS, UH, ARE NOT ABLE TO SEE IN CLASS, AND WE'RE HERE TO ACTUALLY PRE, PRE PREVENT THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY A CELEBRATION BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO HONOR ARAMCO.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'VE BEEN, UH, BEEN WITH US FROM, FROM, FROM DAY ONE.
I CAN REMEMBER BACK, I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST 20 YEARS, AND I CAN REMEMBER BACK WHEN WE WENT THROUGH ONE OF THE FIRST HURRICANES THAT ARAMCO W WITH, WITHOUT US ASKING, ACTUALLY PROVIDED US RESOURCES SO THAT WE CAN DO THE JOB THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO AT, AT IN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND EVERY TIME THERE'S BEEN AN EVENT, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR US, EVEN THROUGH THIS, THIS, THIS LAST SITUATION AND THROUGH CO COVID.
BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR WHAT THEY'RE DONATING TO THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD THING.
SO PLEASE, LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND.
YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR TEAM DOES, YOU KNOW, REMARKABLE WORK.
[00:05:01]
WE ARE HERE, WE'RE GONNA BE HERE BECAUSE THIS IS ACTUALLY NEEDED.YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE MOON DIDN'T HAVE A RING AROUND IT UNTIL I WAS IN THE SEVENTH GRADE.
THAT'S WHEN I GOT GLASSES AND I LOOKED AT THE MOON, AND IT WAS REALLY, THERE WAS REALLY A CLEAR CIRCLE, AND IT'S LIKE, WOW, WHERE'S, WHERE'S, WHERE'S THAT RING THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AROUND? I ACTUALLY HAD BLURRED VISION BECAUSE I, I COULDN'T SEE.
AND YOU'VE HEARD MORE REMARKABLE STORIES ABOUT THE HEALTH ISSUES THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY FOUND BY JUST GIVING AN EXAM.
WE THOUGHT THAT IF YOU JUST, IT, IT WAS JUST A GOOD THING TO PUT GLASSES ON, ON A, ON A KID'S EYE.
WE HAD NO IDEA THAT WE'RE GONNA BE SOLVING ALL OF THOSE OTHER ISSUES.
AND SO I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP.
THANK YOU TO THE FOUNDATION, RILEY, ROBIN AND, AND BILLY FOR Y'ALL HELPING US REALLY, UH, RAISE RESOURCES BECAUSE WE WANNA SEE EVERY KID THAT, THAT WE CAN.
AND SO, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE COMMENTS THAT ARE GONNA COME AFTER THIS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING OUR PARTNER.
SO ALDE, ISD HAS BEEN, UM, ONE OF THE EARLY PARTICIPANTS IN CDA SUCCEED, I BELIEVE SINCE 2012, 2013.
AND IN THAT TIME, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY SEE TO SUCCEED HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE ALMOST 10,000 CHILDREN, UM, JUST WITHIN ALDEN, ISD.
AND SO WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP.
WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, WE, WE WOULD HAVE A MUCH HARDER TIME OF PROVIDING THAT CARE.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT ENABLES CHILDREN TO HAVE THE PERMISSION FROM THEIR PARENTS AND TO FACILITATE, UM, BEING ABLE TO ACCESS A PROGRAM LIKE C TO SUCCEED.
SO WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
WE'RE GRATEFUL SUPERINTENDENT GONI FOR YOUR PRESENCE AND FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM, AND WOULD LOVE TO WELCOME YOU TO MAKE A FEW REMARKS.
IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME, BEFORE I MAKE MY BRIEF REMARKS, LET ME JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND ARAMCO.
LITERALLY, YOU CAN'T UNSEE WHAT YOU JUST SAW, AND I DON'T WANT TO, I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE ONES WHO ARE HERE WITH ME, OUR ASSISTANT SUP, UH, DIA MELENDEZ, IF YOU'LL WAVE, AS WELL AS OUR DIRECTOR OF HEALTH SERVICES, UH, NURSE SINGLETARY, IF YOU'LL WAVE, LITERALLY INSISTING THAT I COME TODAY, I'M SO GLAD.
'CAUSE AGAIN, MANY I'VE READ ABOUT IT, I'VE HEARD ABOUT IT, I'VE GOTTEN REPORTS ABOUT IT, BUT UNTIL YOU SEE IT, YOU CAN'T UNSEE IT.
AND ONCE YOU SEE IT, YOU'RE SO PROUD OF WHEN A COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND SPONSORSHIPS TO MAKE SUCH AN AMAZING DIFFERENCE FOR THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE.
SEE, LITERALLY, I I CAN'T SPEAK ABOUT THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT YOU SUPPORT, BUT WHAT I CAN SPEAK ABOUT IS ALDEEN, ISD AND WHAT MAKES IT REALLY SPECIAL.
UH, ALDE, ISD IS A TITLE ONE DISTRICT, AND I'M SURE YOU'VE ALL HEARD OF, OF TITLE ONE, BUT LITERALLY, IN OUR DISTRICT, NINE OUT OF 10 STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH.
THAT MEANS THEY LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE.
AND AS A FORMER, UM, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENT MYSELF, UH, LITERALLY GROWING UP RAISED IN POVERTY, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE TYPES OF PARTNER PARTNERSHIPS AND THESE TYPE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS.
UH, ANYONE, ANYONE, LITERALLY ANYONE, AND MANY OF YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SHARE IT THIS MORNING, BUT IF YOU'VE GROWN UP POOR, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WHO'S GROWN UP POOR OR TRUST ME, WHEN YOU GROW UP POOR, UH, FAMILIES HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES.
THEY HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES BETWEEN RENT, THEY HAVE TO MAKE CHOICES BETWEEN FOOD.
THEY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, UH, OTHER THINGS.
AND EYEGLASSES MAY NOT BE A PRIORITY, BUT WE KNOW, WE KNOW AS EDUCATORS THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT IS SIGHT IS SO IMPORTANT.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT SIGHT IS TRULY A GIFT.
UH, LITERALLY SOMEONE SHARED IT EARLIER, BUT IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, UH, THINK ABOUT THIS.
80% OF LEARNING, 80% OF LEARNING BEFORE YOU TURN 12 YEARS OLD OCCURS THROUGH SIGHT.
SO IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH SIGHT, THERE'S NOTHING THAT PRE-K IS GONNA DO.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IS GONNA DO.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT THE BEST TEACHERS ARE GONNA DO IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH SIGHT.
SO AS A LEADER, I OFTEN TALK ABOUT WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL STUDENTS TO BE A PART OF THIS TODAY, AND TO SIT AND, AND LET KIDS JUST FAIL DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR SUCH AN EASY PROBLEM TO FIX.
AND I'M SO THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT FOR NEARLY 11 YEARS.
AND SO, UM, THIS PARTNERSHIP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND WE RECOGNIZE TOO, THAT THE WORK WE DO IN EDUCATION CANNOT BE DONE ALONE.
OPPORTUNITIES DON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT
[00:10:01]
PEOPLE, WITHOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND WITHOUT PARTNERSHIPS.IT TAKES COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS PARTNERS TO HELP MEET OUR STUDENTS' NEEDS SO THAT THEY HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO THE VERY BEST THEY CAN IN CLASS.
UH, AS HAS BEEN STATED, WE'VE BEEN PROUD PARTICIPANTS OF C TO SUCCEED FOR 11 YEARS, C TO SUCCEED ASSIST US IN HELPING OUR STUDENTS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS AND GLASSES FREE OF CHARGE.
DID Y'ALL HEAR THAT? FREE OF CHARGE.
AGAIN, WITHOUT THESE SERVICES, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS IN NEED OF GLASSES WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEM.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MAKES THIS POSSIBLE FOR OUR STUDENTS EVERY YEAR.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN ARAMCO, THE MAJOR SPONSOR FOR THIS WEEK'S, UH, SEE TO SUCCEED MISSION.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING OUR STUDENTS THE GIFT OF SIGHT HELPING, MAKING OUR STUDENTS THEIR EDUCATIONAL IS MORE BEARABLE AND ENSURING THEY ARE FUTURE READY.
AGAIN, I'M JUST HONORED TO BE HERE, HONORED TO BE A PART, AND SO GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT THAT YOU'RE GIVING ALL THE STUDENTS THAT YOU SERVE FROM ALDEN, ISD.
UM, WE, OF COURSE, IN THIS PARTNERSHIP, UM, THE CRI, IT'S VERY CRITICAL TO HAVE, UM, THE WHOLE SUPPORT OF THE CITY AND OF, UM, OF THE MAYOR AND, AND CITY HALL AND, AND COUNCIL TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IT'S RECOGNIZED HOW IMPORTANT THE PROGRAM IS, UM, TO THE CONSTITUENTS AND TO, UM, TO THE CITIZENS AND RESIDENT OF HOUSTON.
AND SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT SUPPORT AND, UM, WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU.
CHRIS NEWPORT IS THE CHIEF OF STAFF FOR, UM, MAYOR WHITMEYER.
AND, UM, WHAT A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY WITH A NEW ADMINISTRATION TO, UM, SET OFF THE YEAR IN A GREAT WAY IN THE FUTURE, UM, FOR C TO SUCCEED.
SO WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE AND WOULD LOVE TO WELCOME YOU, CHRIS.
AND WHAT A, UM, WHAT A MORNING TO BE ABLE TO COME SEE SUCH IMPACT HAVING ON AN OTHERWISE, THIS IS WHERE I WAS THINKING ABOUT MAKING AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE.
WE WILL HIGHLY LIKELY WALK OUT THOSE DOORS WITH KNOWING THE IMPACT THAT YOU'VE ALREADY MADE, THAT MR. AL FLAG THAT, THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE ALREADY ON THE LIVES OF, UM, 1200 KIDS BEFORE THE END OF THIS WEEK IS OUT BEFORE THE END OF ARAMCO WEEK.
ARAMCO WEEK, ARAMCO WEEK, UM, IS, IS INVALUABLE.
I KNOW REBECCA AND I ARE GONNA BE GOING BACK TO CITY HALL WITH A FRESH CHARGE IN OUR STEP ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
AND I'M SURE, UM, WAS THE TIMING OF THIS EVENT LIKE TAILORED TO BE IN BUDGET PREP CYCLE? JUST A, JUST A GOOD COINCIDENCE.
YEAH, THE MAYOR IS ABSOLUTELY THRILLED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, HE, HE SUPPORTED THIS AT HIS, WHEN HE WAS A SENATOR, UH, HELPING THIS GET OFF THE GROUND AND, AND THIS TEAM THAT'S IN FRONT OF US AND OTHERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE WINGS DOING THE ACTUAL WORK WITH THE KIDS, HAVE JUST TURNED IT INTO SOMETHING TRULY REMARKABLE.
UM, I HAVE TWO, UM, TWO SCHOOL AGE, ONE, A SIXTH GRADER AND A FOURTH GRADER THAT, THAT ARE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL.
AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT, DR.
GAFFNEY, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT, THAT YOU MAKE BEFORE THE KIDS LEAVE OR I, I SUPPOSE WHENEVER THEY GET THE GLASSES THAT THAT IS GOING TO ADDRESS A VISION PROBLEM THAT MAYBE THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY HAD.
IT'S GOING TO IMMEDIATELY REC BE RECOGNIZABLE WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT A STANDARDIZED TEST THAT THEY MAY NEED TO MAKE WHERE THEY CAN READ THE QUESTIONS MORE CLEARLY.
BUT WE THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED, LIKE ALL THE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION THAT IS JUST MASKED, OR MAYBE THAT'S BLURRY, JUST TOTALLY UNREACHABLE FOR THEM, THAT THIS PROGRAM JUST UNLOCKS.
UM, AND IT REALLY REACHES INTO EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIFE.
I AM NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR ABOUT THE DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT THE C TO SUCCEED PROGRAM HAS ON BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONS.
UM, GOING BACK TO THAT NONVERBAL THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN PUT VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS INTO CONTEXT WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE EXPRESSION ON YOUR, ON YOUR, YOUR CONVERSATION PARTNERS, UH, FACE, TRULY REMARKABLE.
AND THE FACT THAT, UM, THAT ARAMCO HAS BEEN SUCH A CRITICAL SUPPORTER OF THIS PROGRAM.
HOUSTON CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP THAT YOU PROVIDE TO THIS PROGRAM, BUT AS WELL AS YOUR COMPANY'S HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED TO THE CITY IN
[00:15:01]
ITS TIME OF NEED.AS WE WERE DISCUSSING BEFORE, WE HAD MICROPHONES IN OUR HANDS BEFORE THE CALL EVEN HAD TO BE MADE IT.
HOUSTON IS THE CITY THAT WE ARE, UM, BECAUSE OF PARTNERS LIKE ARAMCO AND BECAUSE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE WILLING TO GIVE UP THEIR TIME FROM IMPORTANT WORK TO COME MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN, IN THESE KIDS' LIVES AND IN THEIR FAMILY'S LIVES.
YOU, YOU JUSTIFIABLY HAVE A WEEK.
UM, WE MIGHT NEED TO COME BACK WITH, MAYBE IT NEEDS TO BE ARAMCO QUARTER AT, AT A AT A POINT IN THE FUTURE, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I KNOW WE IMPORTANT MILESTONES REACHING A HUNDRED THOUSAND KIDS SERVED WITH A SEED TO SUCCEED PROGRAM THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TREMENDOUS.
50 YEARS FOR ARAMCO IN HOUSTON AND, AND GROWING.
UM, WE CAN'T THANK ALL THE PARTNERS ENOUGH.
THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL SERVICE THAT Y'ALL ARE PROVIDING IN MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE DAILY LIVES OF KIDS AND FAMILIES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU AND OUR OTHER PARTNERS, THE SUPPORT AND THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO DOING THESE OFFSITE EVENTS AND THE WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UH, AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GIVE YOU MORE TOOLS SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE MORE IMPACT FOR MORE KIDS AND MORE FAMILIES.
CHRIS, ARE WE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME? REALLY? NO, UH, WORDS OR PHYSICAL EMBODIMENT? UH, WE'D LIKE TO, CAN, CAN REALLY EXPRESS, UM, THE, THIS, THE DEEP FEELING THAT WE HAVE AND APPRECIATION WE HAVE FOR ARAMCO IN OUR HEARTS.
AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU MR. LIK WITH, UH, JUST A MEMENTO OF OUR APPRECIATION.
WE HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED THIS PARTNERSHIP OVER THE YEARS AND ARE SO HAPPY AND HONORED TO BE STANDING HERE WITH YOU AGAIN.
WOULD LIKE TO ALSO, UM, HONOR AND THANK YOUR ENTIRE TEAM.
WE'RE SO THRILLED TO HAVE ARAMCO VOLUNTEERS HERE TODAY AND, UH, LAST TIME AS WELL.
AND IT'S MEANT SO MUCH THANK YOU TO, TO JUDY AND, AND BRITTANY AND THE WHOLE ARAMCO TEAM AND ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS, UM, MR. YUSEF.
AND, UM, WE REALLY ENJOY OUR TIME AND WORK WITH YOU.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS.
SO, MR. ALCOHOLIC, THIS IS ACTUALLY A VISUAL, UM, REPRESENTATION OF THANK YOU CARDS FROM THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
AND, UM, WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE AND EVERYBODY, YOU CAN READ THE LITTLE NOTES, THEY'RE JUST SO HEARTWARMING AND LOVELY AND JUST REALLY EXPRESS IN THEIR OWN WORDS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS AND HOW MUCH THEY'VE APPRECIATED HAVING GLASSES.
SO WE WANTED TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS AND, AND ON BEHALF OF THE FOUNDATION, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THROUGH THE YEARS BEING THERE FOR US WHERE THIS PRO PROJECT IS TODAY.
AND THE SUCCESS IS BECAUSE OF ARAMCO.
WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TAKE THE TOUR AND THAT YOU DO NOT NEED WORDS TO EXPRESS THE SUCCESS OF CADA SUCCEEDS.
BUT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU IN YOUR ARAMCO EMBRACING THIS.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR LOYALTY, ALL OF YOUR PEOPLE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE STAFF THAT REALLY MAKES THINGS HAPPEN.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MAKES YOUR, WHAT IT IS TODAY AND WHAT YOU SEE.
SO, ROBIN, APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO ON BEHALF OF THE FOUNDATION BOARD, WE'RE GLAD TO BE A SMALL PART OF A BIG SUCCESS AND SOMETHING IN LIFE THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED, BUT WE REALIZE NOW WE CAN'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED BECAUSE OF YOU.
UH, I WANNA
UH, ACTUALLY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE PART OF THIS.
UH, WHAT I READ HERE IS REALLY MEANS A LOT AND THIS IS REALLY WHAT MATTERS THE MOST.
UH, LIKE THIS KID SAYING, THANK YOU FOR SOLVING MY PROBLEM AT SCHOOL.
SO, UM, ARAMCO AGAIN HAS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS HERE, BUT IT'S A 50 YEARS NOT JUST AS A BUSINESS, BUT A PARTNER IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, WE BELIEVE AT THE PARENT COMPANY LEVEL AND ACROSS WHEREVER WE ARE IS, UH, OUR SUCCESS IS OUR COMMUNITY'S SUCCESS.
[00:20:01]
OUR PEOPLE WORK.UH, OUR EMPLOYEES, THEY'RE RELATIVES, SO EVERYBODY'S AS SUCCESSFUL.
THE COMPANY IS SUCCESSFUL ALSO.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE WILL STAND BY THIS PROGRAM AMONG OTHERS.
WE, WE SUPPORT IN THE CITY, IN THIS GREAT CITY.
SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND THE WHOLE ADMINISTRATION AND THE DEPARTMENT AND THE FOUNDATION.
AND LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST IS THE TEAM, UH, IN ARAMCO, JUDY, TERRY, AND THE REST AND THE VOLUNTEERS.
ACTUALLY, WE, WE WITNESS SINCE WE, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK OUR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY JUST NEEDED THE TIME.
SO, AND IT'S IT'SS BEEN TREMENDOUS PLEASURE TO SEE MORE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WANT TO COME AND CONTRIBUTE AND, AND DO SOMETHING.
AND ALSO WE'D LIKE TO ADD A NOTE TO, UM, THE WHOLE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TEAM, UM, THAT IS HERE TODAY ON THE HOUSTON HEALTH FOUNDATION TEAM.
UM, DANIELLA MOA, UM, ALWAYS MANAGES TO MAKE, UH, UH, THE EVENTS WITH CDA SUCCEED, FESTIVE AND FUN FOR THE KIDS, AND SO WELL ORGANIZED AND REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S SUPPORT.
WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU, UM, TO REFRESHMENTS NOW, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
IF, UM, WE HAVE SOME THINGS HERE AND WE ALSO HAVE A LITTLE, UH, GIFT BOX TO SHARE WITH YOU AS WELL.
UM, AND IN, UH, IT'S A LITTLE BOX YOU CAN TAKE HOME IF YOU'RE FASTING FOR RAMADAN, IT CAN BE FOR LATER LIKE ME.
UM, AND UH, BUT WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO TAKE THAT AND SHARE AND JUST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH EACH OTHER.