News

March organizers ready for thousands of education advocates

• CONTACT
  Dennis Tompkins. (518) 213-6000 ext. 6313.
• ADDITIONAL CONTACTS
  Media contacts for sponsoring organizations

ALBANY, N.Y. May 2, 2003 - What does it take to feed and care for the largest demonstration in support of public education in New York's history?

A lot of advance planning, organizers said.

The state Educational Conference Board and Higher Education Conference Board are sponsoring Saturday's march in support of New York's public schools and colleges. Organizers said today that they are fully prepared for the tens of thousands of demonstrators expected to jam the Empire State Plaza.

To feed and address marchers' other needs, organizers say they will have on hand:

• 80,000 bottles of soda
• 60,000 bottles of water
• 42,000 ice cream pops
• 40,000 pounds of ice
• 11,000 bags of chips and other snacks
• 9,200 muffins, jumbo cookies, brownies and other desserts
• 8,000 Granola bars
• 6,480 grape tomatoes
• 4,800 pounds of pasta salad
• 4,000 pounds of chopped romaine for salads
• 3,100 pounds of turkey breast, ham and other deli meats
• 1,900 pounds of seafood salad
• 1,100 pounds of fruit salad
• 374 chairs
• 300 staff members working for education groups
• 135 gallons of salad dressing
• 80 portable toilets
• 41 tables
• 27 tents
• 2 giant video screens

"What this all adds up to is one unified message: New York's public schools and colleges must be the state's top funding priority, not just this year but for the years to come," said ECB Chairman Blaise Salerno.

The March for Public Education begins with entertainment at 11 a.m. at the Empire State Plaza. Speakers will address the crowd at 1 p.m. HBO's Cynthia Nixon, star of the series "Sex and the City," will be one of the keynote speakers at the demonstration.

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CONTACT: Dennis Tompkins. (518) 213-600 ext. 6313.

See also: Media contacts of sponsoring organizations