Parents who may need some help making sure their children have everything they need for the start of school can get a hand this weekend.
The Jacksonville Chapter of the NAACP is sponsoring its annual Back to School Giveaway this Saturday at Minnie Barr Park. Polly Williams, President of the Jacksonville Chapter of the NAACP says backpacks and supplies will be given away free of charge while supplies last.
“We will start giving away backpacks at 10:30 Saturday morning. They do have to sign for them, the kids’ names who are picking them up. And we’ve got them all lined up from kindergarten to high school, so when they come through, just tell me what grade your kid is in and they can get it.”
Williams says several organizations are coming together to make the day possible, but special thanks are owed to one group in particular for help with the school supplies. “The Lions Club donated school supplies for us too, and I mean the backpacks full this year. Everything the school asked for, the kids got.”
The Pilot Club will also be handing out bike helmets while supplies last. The event runs from 10 am to 2:00, with the backpack distribution from 10:30 to 11:30.
Williams says once those are all distributed, there will be a free lunch of hotdogs, chips, and a drink for the kids starting at noon. She says there will be games and other activities for both kids and parents.
“The police will be there with the kids. They always like to play basketball with them. The Morgan County Health Department will be there for anybody who needs a shot, they are going to set up appointments for them so they can just go down to the health department and get their school shots.”
Other organizations contributing this year include MCS, JACIL, the Boys and Girls Club, Walmart, the Cass County Health Department, Mt. Emory Baptist Church, and the House of Worship among others.
The NAACP Back to School Giveaway is from 10:00 to 2:00 at Minnie Barr Park at 300 Walnut Court this Saturday. For more information, call 217-414-5059, or 217-473-5911.