Durham CAN, an organization of community groups, expects 350 to 400 people at a Sunday afternoon "assembly," including Democratic gubernatorial candidates Richard Moore and Beverly Perdue.

Moore's campaign headquarters has confirmed he plans to attend. Perdue's headquarters said Thursday it was trying to adjust her schedule to accommodate the Durham meeting.

The purpose of the assembly, taking place from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church (305 E. Main St.), is to ask candidates' support for an effort to improve Durham's public schools, said Ivan Parra, lead organizer at CAN (Communities, Associations and Neighborhoods).

"We're very interested in being a partner in improving public education," Parra said.

"We want parents and students to be more involved."

He said at least 20 other candidates for local and state offices have said they would be on hand as well.

In terms of attendance by decision-makers and candidates for public office, Parra said, this will probably be CAN's biggest event to date.

CAN started informally in 1997 and declared itself an organization with a "founding assembly" in 2002.

Previous CAN projects have promoted "living wages," testing children for lead poisoning and toughened penalties for violators of the city's housing code.

The group's Web site (www.durhamcan.org) lists 24 congregations and other groups as member organizations, including the Watts Hospital-Hillandale Neighborhood Association, Religious Coalition for a Non-Violent Durham and the Peoples' Alliance.

CAN is an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation, a group established in 1940 by Chicago labor and community organizer Saul Alinsky.