DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Many local school districts will welcome students back for a new semester this week. One of them in Lackawanna County is helping make sure their young students are better prepared for their first day.
The event featured more than just school supplies. It also helped kids get into school mode while still having some fun.
Crayons, pencils, and glue sticks for all: Dunmore Elementary Center hosted its Third Annual Back-to-School Giveaway on Sunday.
"I got notebooks, I got a folder, I got a lot of pencils, I got two pens, two highlighters, and a glue stick," fifth grader Logan Uhler told 28/22 News.
"It's wonderful. It's wonderful to see the kids get together, it's wonderful to help those who need it, and it's also just great to put it out there so that kids start to come together and get excited for the school year again," Dunmore Parent Teacher Association (PTA) President Laura Mills said.
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Tables lined the gymnasium with much-needed school items for students to add to their new backpacks.
But there was something else capturing their attention.
"So, we wanted to not only have it be a giveaway, but we wanted the kids to come and have a great time. So, we have face painting, caricatures, as well as the dunk tank, and we have some of our teachers and faculty here today that the students can dunk," Mills explained.
The elementary school has more than 1,000 students, and this event usually draws around 200 families.
Several community groups worked with the PTA to provide resources to students and take some of the financial strain off their parents.
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"I know as a parent of two college students, it's just a relief that their children have the equipment they need, the supplies they need, just to make their transition into a new year a lot easier," The Wright Center for Community Health Director of Development and Relations for Community Outreach Geraldine McAndrew told 28/22 News.
The kids are grateful for the event too.
"I was pretty happy that I got some school supplies, and that my parents didn't have to spend money on school supplies," Uhler added.
When I asked if students were excited for the new school year, let's just say they were not all on the same page.
Dunmore Kindergarten through eighth-grade students who showed up went home with everything they needed for their first day of classes on Wednesday.
The PTA says it looks forward to adding more fun to next year's back-to-school giveaway.
