Houston, TX December 7 , 2005

Project GRAD Holiday Family Festival Benefits
Underprivileged HISD Fine Arts Students

(Houston, TX) --The Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams) Fine Arts Festival at Marshall Middle School embarked on its 6th year with major support from the surrounding community and businesses on December 3, 2005 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.  The festival showcased the rising talent of elementary and middle school students that feed into Davis High School. 

Admission was free for all activities including instrumental and vocal music, dance, drama and visual art exhibits by fine arts students.  An estimated 600 students performed.  Food and drink refreshments were available for purchase.  Booths featured our cultural arts partners including Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, DaCamera of Houston, FotoFest and more.

In 2004, the festival featured 400 works of student art, three performance stages and 40 student performance groups.  The festival drew a record crowd of more than 2,000 art, drama, dance and music lovers.  This year, with more student art exhibits and higher attendance record, the Annual Project GRAD Holiday Family Fine Arts Festival is quickly developing into the largest festival in Houston’s Near North Side. 

The mission of Project GRAD is to ensure a quality public education for all children in economically disadvantaged communities by partnering with local school districts. By providing additional funds, learning and teaching tools, mentors and other support, Project GRAD is able help school districts increase the number of students who gradate from high school as well as increase the number of those students who attend and graduate from college. Today, Project GRAD is at work in the Jefferson Davis, Jack Yates, Phillis Wheatley, John Reagan, and Sam Houston feeder patterns of Houston Independent School District serving 69 schools and over 47,000 children – 22.98% of the school district’s total school population and approximately 24% of its total at-risk population. 

The Project GRAD Holiday Family Festival was generously underwritten by Taquerias Arandas.  For more information, please contact Marisa Lopez at 713-970-2103 or marisa@cavazoscommunications.com.