Bowling for Charity, uniting Asians and educating the community on Asian culture are just a few things that the Asian American Association does.

The Asian American Association (AAA) held its annual bowl-for- charity Thursday night in the Huskie Den of the Holmes Student Center.

This year’s proceeds will benefit the Nursing Center of Kishwaukee college. The Nursing Center is a not-for-profit program run by nurses which provides services to homeless or uninsured individuals in the DeKalb/Sycamore area.

The AAA asked members participating in the bowl-for-charity to donate personal care items such as shampoo, soap and toilet paper. These items will then be distributed into “care” packages for the Nursing Center.

“I think it’s great that the Asian Organization got together to contribute to the needy,” said Hanh Bui-Nguyen, a junior marketing major.

The bowl did not only contribute to the center but helped contribute to the peace of mind of members by serving as a study break before finals as well.

“It’s fun, as you can see. This is the last meeting of the year. It gives us a chance to relax before finals,” said Tara Agtarap, a sophomore English major.

Aside from serving the community and members, the bowl was considered a success by members in that it united many different Asians on campus.

“There are so many other Asian organizations on campus. Our main goal is to get all of these organizations involved. The bowl-for-charity was just one of a series of events to produce unity among Asians,” said Jerry Gozum, a senior accounting major.

“We want to show the campus that we can unite so they can take our voice seriously. We need to break stereotypes. We have needs, too. For example, scholarships. Also, most Asian organizations do not get any funding. A lot of it is our fault. We were raised not to be aggressive, to be low key. We are changing that,” he said.

The AAA executive board gives room for such expression and encourages exchange of thought, said Julie Rivo, public relations executive.

“The executive board is just wonderful. As an executive member, I get to input ideas. Sometimes, if you are just a member, you are hesitant to say what you want to say,” Rivo said.

“Being on the executive board has given me a chance to know more about the school and campus life. I have been involved with AAA since day one. (My involvement) has made me more creative and open to new ideas,” said Nancy Fortes, vice president of external affairs.