(Press release)

Austin, Texas - Hillsboro Elementary School will be the site of the Texas PTA Centennial celebration, held on October 19, 2009, starting at 8:30 a.m. Texas PTA will not only be celebrating a milestone birthday...100 years of making every child's potential a reality...but celebrating in the actual birthplace of Texas PTA. In 1896, Mrs. Ella Caruthers Porter established the first "Mother's Club" in Hillsboro, Texas; a club designed to bring mothers together to share ideas.

"When I was little more than a child myself, I found myself the mother of three precious little girls," Mrs. Porter said. "I was overwhelmed with the responsibility and with my utter unpreparedness of motherhood...There were few helps to be had at that time in the way of literature or printed material, so I conceived the idea of calling together a few other mothers who would no doubt be interested in child study and the betterment of the home."

Mrs. Porter published an advertisement in the Hillsboro newspaper and officially started one of the first "Mother's Clubs" in the nation. She then went on to establish the Texas branch of the National Congress of Mothers (National PTA) in 1909, chartered at the State Fair of Texas on October 19.

This Centennial year has been a remarkable birthday year for Texas PTA, starting with a huge crowd of supporters at the Texas PTA Day at the Capitol in February, and ending on an equally high note as PTA members and their families gather Hillsboro to celebrate this important day.

Cindy Rose, Texas PTA Centennial Chairman said "This will be an exciting day as we close our Texas PTA Centennial Celebration in the birthplace of what was to become Texas PTA. My hope is that our next 100 years will be as successful and productive when it comes to advocating for our children as our first 100 years!"
Events and activities planned for the event include:
· Proclamation from Mayor John P. Erwin, Jr., M.D.
· Centennial remarks from Chairperson Cindy Rose
· Story time for children with Jan Wilkerson, Texas PTA President
· Apple snacks and toothbrushes for kids to promote healthy lifestyles
· Pictures and interviews with City of Hillsboro officials, and officers and representatives of Texas PTA
· Trip to Hill County Museum, where Texas PTA will present a portrait of Founder Ella Caruthers Porter to Curator Marilyn Topping
This is an historical milestone for Texas PTA, and they encourage everyone who can to come out to help celebrate and wish them a "Happy Birthday!"