More than 650 kids from the Mexico area got hooked up with some free school supplies thanks to some volunteer groups.
The annual Back to School Health Fair was held this past Saturday, Aug. 5, …
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More than 650 kids from the Mexico area got hooked up with some free school supplies thanks to some volunteer groups.
The annual Back to School Health Fair was held this past Saturday, Aug. 5, in the parking lot just north of the United Methodist Church. The event, which has been a drive-through since COVID-19, had cars wrapped around the block up Jefferson Street to Liberty Street.
“Couldn’t have hardly asked for a better day,” one of the event main organizers John Johnson told the Ledger. “The weather held off for us, we had some overcast and a little breeze.”
Last year’s event wrapped up early due to organizers running out of supplies. Organizers were ready for 500 kids but almost 700 showed up. This year the group was ready for 700 kids to show up. Johnson said 651 school supply packs were given away during the event but expects more to trickle in later.
“We’ve had some requests from people that were delayed and couldn’t quite get there,” Johnson said. “We did well.”
Before COVID-19 the fair was held inside the Methodist church and kids would get a health screening that included a quick dental exam, hearing and eye tests, and a quick check for scoliosis. Johnson said they are working on getting a mobile dental truck at next year’s event and reaching out to others to help restore the fair back to what it was before the pandemic.
“I don’t want to get people’s hopes up but we are seriously talking about it,” Johnson said. “COVID-19 just cut our legs out from under us from doing all that close and personal health screening.”
Johnson said getting more in-person will also help with things like getting the kids shoes. In the past Shoes from the Heart would measure kids’ feet but now parents have to enter that information online and it’s not always accurate.
“Usually they get it pretty close but occasionally they miss it and we have to do some follow-up,” Johnson said.
Johnson thanked all of the volunteers and groups that helped put the event together including the Anna Margaret Griffin Foundation which has financially supported the event for the last several years. Johnson said they wouldn’t be able to do the event without them or the volunteers that put it into action.
“In one form or another over 100 people donated their time, supplies, or kept us in their prayers to help make this event possible,” Johnson said.
