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Holiday BookFair Brings Joy to Students and Recipients
As the holiday season nears, you may find a last few gifts still on your list. Perhaps you have that "difficult to buy for" person. What about a calendar, a game, a CD or a book?
Donna Buja checks out the children's
section at Barnes & Noble Booksellers. She
originated the idea for the UT Health
Science Center at Houston Holiday
BookFair, which helps to raise money for
scholarships.
Photo by Dawna Jarvis
The UT Health Science Center at Houston Holiday BookFair at Barnes & Noble Booksellers provides an opportunity to complete that gift list and have your presents go twice as far. When you purchase your gifts at the Barnes & Noble at 3003 W. Holcombe Dec. 1- 4, up to 25 percent of the purchase price will benefit student scholarships at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
The bookfair began in 2003 thanks to the efforts of the UT Medical School at Houston's Faculty Wives and Women Faculty organization. Longtime club member Donna Buja approached Dan Neale, community relations director at the Vanderbilt Square Barnes & Noble location, about holding a benefit for the Medical School's students.
Neale thought it was an excellent idea but suggested the group expand the bookfair to include the entire health science center. With the help of the Office of Public Affairs, the bookfair raised more than $3,000 for scholarships in its first year.
"Shopping during the UT Health Science Center Holiday BookFair is a great way to provide needed funding for our students," Buja said. "This is so important to attract and retain qualified students."
Using the bookfair voucher at the Vanderbilt location store, shoppers may designate a particular school, the University Classified Staff Council's scholarship program, or the university's general scholarship fund.
Members of the Faculty Wives and Women Faculty will gift wrap purchases on Saturday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.
The Barnes & Noble store has many items to choose from, but gifts cards and café consumables are not included in the bookfair. For more information contact Elease Jenkins, Office of Public Affairs, (713) 500-3035 or Elease.P.Jenkins@uth.tmc.edu.
By Dawna Jarvis, Public Affairs