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Students Design Holiday Cards

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By JOHN CEBALLOS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2007

WIMAUMA - A group of students got a head start on the holiday season by helping design a batch of Christmas cards for charity.

'The children came up with wonderful designs, ranging from traditional Christmas images to ones incorporating the fruit and vegetables that their parents harvest,' said Barbara Mainster, executive director of the Redlands Christian Migrant Association.

The designs will be part of the group's ninth annual Christmas card fundraiser, which will feature art by students in its centers and charter schools.

'It's certainly one of the more popular projects the kids work on every year, and they always do a fantastic job,' said Matt Bokor, director of community relations for the migrant group. 'We hope the fundraiser will be even more successful than it has been in past years.'

Last year, the project raised $11,000. This year, organizers hope to hit $20,000.

The cards start at $15 for a box of 10, plus shipping. Proceeds will benefit the organization's programs and centers throughout Florida. For every dollar raised, the migrant group is able to generate $16 in matching grant funds.

Some of this year's artists attend the Wimauma Academy, the organization's charter school in Hillsborough, and participate in after-school programs offered at the organization's centers in Ruskin and Wimauma. One of those programs is an art class for children in grades three through five.

According to Marcela Estevez of the Wimauma Academy, about 15 students from that art class were joined by 20 other kids from the school to create many of the designs used for this year's cards.

Young artists from other parts of the state - including Dade City, Arcadia and Immokalee - also contributed designs to the project.

Redlands also offers holiday stationery and year-round note cards that also feature art by the children.

Founded in the Redlands farming area of Miami-Dade County in 1965, the migrant organization operates more than 70 centers in Florida and provides child care and early education programs for more than 1,300 children in Hillsborough County.

The deadline to ensure delivery by Dec. 1 is Nov. 1

For information, call 1-800-282-6540, or visit www.rcma .org/holidaycards .

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

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