As a token of appreciation to Rice and Houston for educating and hosting their children, the Rice University Chinese Parents Association has donated 65,000 disposable masks and 250 face shields to Memorial Hermann hospital and the Harris Health System.
The group raised $33,000 to purchase the personal protective equipment (PPE) and ship it to the medical institutions.
“I believe that there are hundreds of parents from China who share the same emotions that I do about Rice and desire to do something significant to present their gratitude not only to Rice but also to Houston, the place their daughters and sons lived for years,” said Vera Zeng, who was instrumental in raising the funds. Zeng’s daughter, Mingyue Bao, graduated from Rice in 2018 and is attending Boston College Law School.
“Under the COVID-19 pandemic circumstances that the whole world is suffering from, we parents in China thought that it was time to lend Houston a helping hand,” Zeng said. “All the parents agreed unanimously to donate PPEs to front-line medical workers who are confronting the most dangerous virus to protect people in Houston, including Rice students, staff and alumni.”
Memorial Hermann was grateful to receive the donation.
“We cannot thank you enough for the generosity you have extended to our health system and the patients we care for every day, especially now,” said Stephen N. Lee, assistant vice president of supply chain management at the hospital.
Zeng said having the opportunity to give back has been tremendously satisfying to her and the Chinese Parents Association. “Though the number of PPEs is not huge, we are still proud of what we have done for Rice and for Houston,” she said. “Everyone is linked to the other. We must do something good for the place where our children live and have lived.”