American Youth For Equal Education Opportunities (AYFEEO) will collect school supplies and money as well as any books written in Spanish for Refuge International this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6 at Crossroads Bellevue Mall. The supplies or books can be lightly used or new.

AYFEEO is a student-led organization founded by Interlake high school students Alex Ruan and Derek Tsang to help furnish school supplies for students who would otherwise be unable to afford the school supplies themselves. The organization was conceived in April and it has held a previous drive for the Sherwood Forest Elementary and Lake Hills Elementary schools, the two elementary schools with the highest percentage of students who receive a free or reduced price lunch in the Bellevue School District.

Supported by money from Youth Venture, an organization which seeks to encourage entrepreneurial activities among youth, including a relatively recent $500 grant, Ruan and Tsang have begun expanding the organization to include additional students from Interlake High School.

Refuge International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing various services including education and healthcare to Guatemala and Kenya. The money from the drive held by AYFEEO this weekend will go towards helping give school supplies to schools and students in Guatemala.

The group hopes to hold an additional drive in Factoria Mall sometime in the near future to raise additional funds and supplies for schools in Guatemala.

For more information about the drive or to join the organization, contact Alex Ruan at 206-973-6087 or alexbruan@gmail.com or Derek Tsang at 425-681-3706 or dwgtsang@yahoo.com.

Changlin Li is a student at Interlake High School and an intern with the Bellevue Reporter. He can be reached at 425-453-4270, ext. 5060.