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WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE 16TH ANNUAL MAYORS BACK TO SCHOOL AND HEALTH FAIR.
UH, IT'S A LOVE AND PASSION OF A LOT OF FOLKS INVOLVED.
OBVIOUSLY WITH EVERYBODY HERE, HOUSTON FOOD BANK, SHELL, YOU GUYS ARE OUR, OUR SAVIORS.
YOU KNOW, WITH THIS EVENT, IT'S FANTASTIC.
WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT YOU, U OF H.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY REPRESENTATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, BUT, YOU KNOW, BACK TO SCHOOL IS HARD ON FAMILIES AND IT'S HARD ON SOME FOLKS THAT REALLY NEED THE HELP.
WE, UH, THIS BEING ONE OF THE CITY'S LARGEST GIFT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WE HOST EVERY YEAR, BEING AT THE 16TH ANNUAL 16 YEARS, WE'VE PROBABLY HELPED OVER HALF A MILLION FOLKS IN THOSE YEARS.
20,000, UH, BACKPACKS PER YEAR.
IT'S QUITE A BIG, UM, AGAIN, FROM THE BEGINNING, SEEING THE EVENT CHANGE TO WHAT IT IS NOW, IT'S ALWAYS A PRIDE AND JOY TO WORK THE EVENT.
SO, UH, TO GET THINGS STARTED, I WANNA GO AHEAD AND INVITE, UH, THE MAYOR, JOHN WHITMEYER, UH, WITH, UH, TO, UH, SAY A FEW WORDS.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR, AND THANK EVERYONE THAT'S GATHERED AROUND.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I COULD BE AT A HUNDRED PLACES RIGHT NOW, BUT THIS IS WHERE I WANNA BE AND IT'S WHERE I NEED TO BE.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE THAT WE'RE WITNESSING OF WHY HOUSTON IS A GREAT CITY.
OUR FOOD BANK IS ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING INSTITUTIONS.
THE DIRECTOR MENTIONED HOW MANY LIVES THAT THIS MAYOR'S HEALTH FAIR AND BACK TO SCHOOL FAIRS TOUCH.
WELL MULTIPLY THAT MANY, MANY TIMES OF THE IMPACT THE FOOD BANKS HAD ON NOT JUST HOUSTONIANS, BUT OUR REGION.
SO, THANK YOU MR. GREEN FOR OPENING YOUR HOUSE FOR NOT ONLY THIS PROGRAM, BUT FEEDING LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HOUSTONIANS ON A DAILY BASIS.
CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
I WAS TALKING TO YOU A MOMENT AGO ABOUT HOW PUBLIC SERVICE, WHICH YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING TODAY IS CONTAGIOUS.
THIS WILL BE MANY OF YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE.
AND I KNOW FROM A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, STARTING VERY YOUNG IN PUBLIC SERVICE, IT'S A GOOD FEELING.
SO TAKE THIS BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
I VISITED WITH ENOUGH OF YOU TO KNOW YOU'RE FROM ACROSS OUR REGION.
I THINK KATIE MAY BE IN FIRST PLACE THUS FAR, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
AND SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO THE VOLUNTEERS.
THE PARENTS THAT I KNOW BROUGHT THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS HERE TODAY.
I'VE SEEN SISTERS, BROTHERS, THANK YOU TO THE FOOD BANK TEAM, THANK YOU TO THE MEDIA.
WE NEED DAYS LIKE TODAY, THERE'S A LOT OF TURMOIL IN THE WORLD.
BUT LOOK WHAT WE'RE DOING IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, GETTING READY FOR A HUGE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SATURDAY MORNING, AND I KNOW WHERE I'LL BE EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
I WANNA THANK SHELL, MR. WILSON, YOUR FOUNDATION, YOUR EMPLOYEES, YOUR TEAM.
WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND I WANNA FINISH BY SAYING, YOUNG PEOPLE GET PREPARED.
AND UH, NOW I'D LIKE TO INVITE TO THE MICROPHONE REALLY CLOSE FRIEND OF MINE, MR. FRAZIER WILSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE SHELL, USA FOUNDATION.
SO AS YOU HEARD, THIS IS THE 16TH YEAR OF THE ANNUAL MAYOR BACK TO SCHOOL FEST IN HEALTH FAIR.
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF WHAT PARTNERING AND COMING TOGETHER TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
LOOKS LIKE OVER THE YEARS, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE NEEDS AND WE'VE RESPONDED TO THE NEEDS THE MAYOR ALREADY MENTIONED.
THIS IS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS WHO SHOW UP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO SUPPORT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH.
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BECAUSE OF THESE EFFORTS, WE'RE PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS, ENGINEERS, TECHNICIANS, POLITICIANS, TO LEAD OUR CITY FORWARD.WE UNDERSTAND THAT COLLECTIVELY WE ARE STRIVING AND WE DO BETTER BECAUSE OF THESE EFFORTS TOGETHER.
SO WE WANT, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOOD BANK FOR ITS PARTNERSHIP OVER THE YEARS, AS WELL AS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
A SPECIAL EVENT FOR THE EFFORTS THAT THEY CONTINUE TO PUT OUT TO MAKE SURE EVENTS LIKE THIS HAPPEN TO SERVE THE CITIZENS OF HOUSTON.
ALSO FOR THE MAYOR, FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THESE ONGOING EFFORTS.
BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND OVER THE YEARS, IT'S BECAUSE OF A COMMITMENT TO OUR CITY THAT THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
AND AGAIN, THE MANY VOLUNTEERS WHO CONTINUE TO SHOW UP FOR THESE EFFORTS, THANK YOU FOR INVESTING IN OUR STUDENTS.
'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND WHEN THEY'RE PREPARED, THE FUTURE IS BRIGHTER FOR ALL OF US.
SO EVERYONE, AGAIN, LOOK FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE.
AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED, VOLUNTEERISM IS CONTAGIOUS.
THE MORE YOU VOLUNTEER, THE MORE YOU IMPACT THE OUTCOMES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND SHOWING UP FOR US TODAY.
SEE YOU ON SATURDAY FOR ANOTHER OUTSTANDING YVETTE.
WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT WARM INTRODUCTION.
I'M BRIAN GREEN, UH, PRESIDENT HERE AT HOUSTON FOOD BANK.
UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY YEAR.
UH, HOUSTON IS AN INCREDIBLE CITY.
WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN SO MANY WAYS AND, UH, RECENT WORLD CUP KIND OF AN ILLUSTRATION OF JUST WHAT WE DO CAN, CAN DO.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY JUST LIKE THE REST OF AMERICA, WE ALSO STRUGGLE WITH FOOD INSECURITY.
ABOUT ONE IN FIVE CHILDREN ARE FOOD INSECURE, UH, UNRELIABLE THAT THEY HAVE GOT ENOUGH FOOD, BUT MOSTLY THEY'RE HAVING TO MAKE UP FOR IT BY MAKING NUTRITIONAL COMPROMISES.
BUT FOOD INSECURITY IS, DOESN'T EXIST ON ITS OWN.
I MEAN, THE REALITY, THESE FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING.
AND SO WHEN THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTS, THAT CAN BE A REAL PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE'S EXTRA EXPENSES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
NOW, WE TRY AND HELP THESE KIDS YEAR ROUND.
WE HAVE THE BACKPACK PROGRAM FOR THE KIDS WHO ARE MOST DIRE NEED, BUT WE HAVE ALSO THE SCHOOL MARKETS WITH HUNDREDS OF VARIOUS SCHOOLS.
WE'RE PROVIDING A REGULAR SU SUPPLY TO HELP THOSE FAMILIES.
AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE TEACHERS AND THE TEACHER'S AID PROGRAM TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SUPPLIES SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP THEIR CLASSROOM STOCK.
BUT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IS WHAT THE MAYOR'S PROGRAM, THE BACKPACK PROGRAM IS, IS, IS DESIGNED TO DO, IS HELP GET THESE KIDS OFF TO A GREAT START, YOU KNOW, OVER AT, UH, UH, THE GEORGE R. BROWN CENTER AND ON, ON SATURDAY.
IT'S NOT JUST THIS, BUT ALL THESE OTHER SUPPLIES, ALL THESE OTHER RESOURCES ARE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDED TO FAMILIES.
AND THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND WE ARE REALLY PROUD TO BE WORKING WITH SHELL, UH, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING THIS.
UH, RICARDO'S GONNA COME BACK UP, BUT I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO, TO THE SHOW VOLUNTEERS.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR BREAK.
'CAUSE AS SOON AS HE'S DONE TALKING, IT'S BACK TO WORK.
JUST AS A REMINDER, SO THIS SATURDAY 16TH ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL AND HEALTH FAIR WILL BE HELD AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER AND HALLS A AND B.
SO THE EVENT HOURS ARE FROM 8:00 AM TO 2:00 PM PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT THE ASTROS PARKING LOT, SO DIDN'T EVEN MENTION.
SO THE ASTROS ARE ALSO A GREAT PARTNER OF THE EVENT THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, KINDLY, UH, LET US USE THEIR PARKING LOTS.
SO ALSO U OF H WILL BE HAVING THEIR SHUTTLE BUSES DOING ROTATIONS TO PICK FOLKS UP RIGHT OFF, OFF, UH, RIGHT OFF OF ST.
EMANUEL AND DROPPING YOU OFF RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER AND AT THE END TO TAKE YOU BACK TO YOUR VEHICLES.
WE DO ASK FOR FOLKS TO, YOU KNOW, REGISTER YOUR, YOUR CHILD.
UM, WE ASK FOR VERY BASIC INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, PHONE NUMBER, SCHOOL DISTRICT, ZIP CODE, AGE, UH, AND UH, THIS IS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND IF FOR SOME CHANCE YOU DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY OF REGISTERING, YOU CAN SIMPLY JUST SHOW UP AT THE GRB.
WE WELCOME EVERYBODY TO COME AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SERVICE EVERYBODY WHO COMES.
UH, FOR THAT INFORMATION, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE.
I'LL RE, UH, REPEAT HOUSTON TX.GOV/BTF.
SO AGAIN, THE RESOURCES PROVIDED AS WE DO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S MANY BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS GOING ON.
NOW THAT SCHOOL IS CLOSE TO BEGINNING.
OURS IS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE OF THE HEALTH COMPONENT.
OBVIOUSLY THE BACKPACKS ARE WELL, UH, AND PACKED.
UH, BUT WE DO VISION SCREENING, EYE SCREENING, DENTAL SCREENING.
WE HAVE ALL THE, IM IMMUNIZATIONS AND SHOTS NECESSARY TO GET YOUR KIDS STARTED, UH, FOR THEIR SCHOOL YEAR.
WE WELCOME YOU TO COME OUT THIS SATURDAY.
AGAIN, I WANTED TO THANK SHELL FRAZIER.
MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
BRIAN, WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SPONSORS TO THANK JET CO.
YOU KNOW, YOU OF AGE, UH, AMAZON.
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AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY ON SATURDAY.