Dennis Wharton, executive vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters, and VJ Barre, sales manager for the Austin Convention Center, give toys to children temporarily housed at the Austin Convention Center following Hurricane Ike.

Austin, TX - Sep 18, 2008 - As the NAB Radio Show was being held at the Austin Convention Center, the City of Austin has also set up one of four area shelters for about 1,200 Hurricane Ike evacuees at the facility. The National Association of Broadcasters helped with the City’s hurricane relief efforts by donating several hundred toys and games to the evacuee children currently housed at the convention center.

The hurricane evacuees from the Houston/Galveston area are being sheltered as part of the relief effort by the City of Austin and the American Red Cross of Central Texas. The shelter at the Austin Convention Center was set up and in full operation in Exhibit Halls 2, 3 and 4 by Sept. 15.

NAB representatives and Convention Center staff helped distribute the toys to the children in the play area in Exhibit Hall 2. Every child at the shelter received at least one toy. The assortment included puzzles, games, books, Lincoln logs, Legos, cars, trucks, dolls, balls, coloring books, Play-Doh and cards.