Chinese students donate PPE to U.S. hospitals through Texas school

HOUSTON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Personal protective equipment (PPE) from China was donated to hospitals and health centers in the U.S. state of Texas on Monday.

The donation, 10,000 masks and 10,000 gloves, was dropped off in local hospitals in the Houston and Dallas areas where medical workers are striving to save COVID-19 patients' lives on the frontline.

Organized by International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas), a free public charter school with many locations throughout Texas, the donation was purchased with the fund raised by the students from IL Texas' sister schools in China.

On Monday morning, 4,000 masks and 4,000 gloves were donated to the HCA Houston Healthcare West. IL Texas Houston area Superintendent Matilda Orozco told Xinhua at the ceremony that the school raised money for China a few months ago when China was seriously impacted by COVID-19. This time, its sister school students raised money to buy PPE for medical facilities in the United States.

"That is who we are. It's about others before self. And during this time, that's the most important thing we got to think about is helping each other out and being there for each other," said Orozco, adding that students from China also sent warm wishes and encouraging poems to American students of ILTexas.

Representing the hospitals to receive the PPE, Megan Marietta, CEO of HCA Houston Healthcare West, said this was the first donation they received from China which made it more special.

"I think this is a wonderful gift. It's wonderful to see students focused on servant leadership at such a young age. And this will certainly help our employees and our staff here at the facility," she said.

ILTexas opened its first school in 2013 with over 2,500 students, making it the largest first-year charter in the history of Texas. Since 2013, the district has grown from two schools in North Texas to 19 schools with more than 19,500 students across north and south Texas.

ILTexas has close ties to China. It operates sister schools in China. ILTexas, with a trilingual curriculum of English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, employs many Chinese teachers and educates Chinese international students.

"School students and administrators are finding new and different ways to prove global leadership begins right here at home. We are all in this together," read the school's press release for the donation.