School starts with some free supplies at the We Care Fair this Saturday at Abundant Life.
The church is hosting the event, but partners throughout the community will set up booths or have donated items for the event.
There will be 1,500 supply bags of pens and notebooks, crayons and pocket folders, scissors, glue and hand sanitizer given out at the event. At 1 p.m., pre-registered children start the line and other families can register. At 4 p.m., those who registered Saturday can start going through the line where the extra supplies and anything not picked up will be distributed.
Last year, they distributed a total of 750 supply bags. This year they have 750 children pre-registered and an extra 750 bags already packed. Pre-registered children need to bring their ticket. Stamped at different locations at the event, the ticket will also qualify them for drawings for some of the prizes, giftcards and a couple pairs of Nike Shox. Families who registered through Economic Security need to pick up their tickets where they registered.
The number of sponsors for the event grew this year, and the event will have eight hairstylists giving trims instead of five. The health department volunteered its parking space and a shuttle will run vendors to and from the event. Set up in the church’s fellowship hall, there will be medical, dental and vision screenings and – new this year —glucose testing. Scholastic donated hundreds of books. Calvary is making snowcones, the daycare is popping corn. First Baptist Church and Abundant Life’s Royal Rangers are each grilling 1,000 hot dogs. In the valley, the FFA will set up a petting zoo, with mini horses and a baby pig that takes a bottle and there will be a castle slide and bounce house as well. Porta-potties will be set up at the site.
Distribution will be outside where, in addition to school supplies, they will give away 500 coats, 550 pairs of shoes and 700 pairs of jeans in tents outside the church.
“We want the day to be all about the kids and make them feel special,” said organizer Brenda Johnson.
All the giveaways are free with no strings attached, but she asks people not come too early – no one gets in until 1 p.m. The heat index is predicted at more than 100 degrees for the mostly outdoor event. Johnson hopes pre-registration efforts will make things go smoother and help tame the line that last year started at 11 a.m. outside the church.
The fair is a testament to the cooperative spirit in the community.
On Thursday afternoon, AmeriCorps, Northside Baptist and Abundant Life volunteers filled sacks with back-to-school goodies.
Plans for next year’s event have already started.
“It’s not just Abundant Life, it’s all the community together,” Johnson said. “We can do so much together, so much more than any individual group can do.”
She is encouraging the organizations and other churches to put up banners declaring their affiliations.
“We thought there was a need in our community,” Johnson said. “There’s just a big need here.
“It’s just great when we can work together.”
The We Care Fair will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Abundant Life Assembly of God, 700 Spencer Drive, Neosho. For more information, please call 451-1858.
Neosho, Mo. —
