Ready for success: 4,000 students receive free school supplies in Aurora
Pencils, paper, pens, folders, notebooks. More than 4,000 students attending Aurora-area schools will now be able to start the school year with all of the free supplies they need thanks to back-to-school drive-thru fairs held Aug. 14-16 at four locations across Aurora. More than 100 volunteers, including church members, adult and youth community members, Aurora's Emergency Management office and the Aurora Police Department, handed out the supply kits during the events, which were changed to drive-thrus this year because of COVID-19.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aurora was one location where families collected "Kits for Kidz," which were provided by Aurora Ward 2 Alderman Juany Garza and the Ward 2 committee.
Al Benson, a freelance photographer covering the church event, said the free supply events are held annually but usually indoors at individual schools or churches on various dates.
"This (event) was important because COVID-19 canceled traditional school-supply giveaways to thousands of students who (normally) attended fairs held at schools and churches sponsored by Kiwanis Club, Wesley Methodist Church and other community groups," Benson said.
Other back-to-school drive-thru events included one at Greene Field Park co-sponsored by alderman-at-large Sherman Jenkins, Ward 4 alderman Bill Donnell, Ward 6 alderman Mike Saville and community partners. Phillips Park was the site of a fair co-sponsored by Communities in Schools and the City of Aurora. Closing out the weekend was a Back-to-School Bash Sunday at Martin Luther King Jr. Park sponsored by Ward 7 alderwoman Scheketa Hart-Burns, Main Baptist Church and other community partners.
A statement posted on the City of Aurora's Facebook page that said "4,000 children received school supplies this weekend at Aurora's four Back-to-School drive-thru events. This year challenged us to re-imagine our citywide back-to-school events. Although they looked different than in the past, the purpose and energy were still the same. It was great to greet thousands of families as they picked up supplies that will help them get ready for a successful school year."