Elementary and middle-school students in quake-hit Sichuan Province made pen friends with students from Zhejiang Province through a special "friendship supermarket" event.

On July 15, cards containing basic contact information and hobbies of 3,500 quake survivors from Sichuan were placed in shelves on either side of an aisle, resembling a supermarket in Ningbo City, local news website Zhejiang Online reports.

Students from Gaohetang Community in Ningbo City then browsed through these aisles and picked their pen friends.

Before the summer vacation began, the students received a special holiday assignment: to write a letter to their new pen pals. Through their letters, they hope to provide consolation and moral support to the quake survivors

(CRIENGLISH.com July 16, 2008)