On September 19th Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA) from Washington University Medical School held a car wash in the parking lot of the art school on the hilltop campus to raise money for the China AIDS Orphans Fund, which is a operated by the Chi Heng Foundation, a charitable organization committed to preventing AIDS in China and caring for AIDS patients and their children. The China AIDS Orphans Fund provides primary and secondary school scholarships to orphans in the rural villages of central China who lost both parents to AIDS. The scholarships provide the students with school supplies, books, tuition, and other school fees, which they would otherwise not have the ability to pay. As there are a growing number of orphans due to the AIDS epidemic, these children will have a continued impact on the social stability of the country for years to come and therefore a sense of urgency is felt as the window for educational attainment narrows.

Blessed with beautiful weather and a steady stream of dirty cars and generous patrons, the students washed more than 60 cars over the course of five hours to raise more than $400 for the organization. APAMSA members were delighted by the success of the event and hope to hold future fundraisers for the foundation. Contributions to the China Orphan's Fund can be made by check payable to "China AIDS Orphan Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation." The Minneapolis Foundation, 800 IDS Center, 80 South Eighth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402. For more info see www.chinaaidsorphanfund.org.

APAMSA is dedicated to addressing issues of Asian American health while providing a forum for students to share and celebrate their cultures in medicine. In addition to the fundraiser for the Chinese Orphans, APAMSA's other activities include health fairs for the immigrant community, faculty-student dinners, the Lunar New Year and Diwali celebrations, and a regional conference April 15th-16th at Washington University Medical School dedicated to exploring issues of Asian American health and identity.