Before starting to school every students needs to be prepared by being armed with basic school supplies such as composition notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, markers, and for the young students, crayons and glue sticks.
For some families this presents a real hardship, especially if they have several children attending school.
Bishop Vera M. Davis of Nazareth Apostolic Church and Elohim Outreach in Hartsville and the Saleeby Law Firm several years ago recognized that some families needed help in meeting these basic needs or their children would enter school unprepared and thus unable to keep up. They teamed up to purchase and distribute free school supplies to children who might otherwise not have them. They wanted to make the experience fun and an invitation to a back-to-school skating party was issued.
Each August for the last eight years, Rose Frazier says she has been in charge of coordinating the event at the Hartsville skating rink.Frazier said it is not just for the underprivileged, although that is how it started out.
"The party is for anyone that wants to come," said Frazier last Friday at the rink. "We have more than 100 (students) here today. I prepared a few extra bags, but I planned on 100."
Students in the first through 12th grade enjoyed time skating, playing games and catching up on what their friends had been doing over the summer. They were also treated to pizza.
Frazier said without the financial support of the Saleeby Law Firm this event wouldn't be possible. She also said the school district shows its support when district employees show up.
Donna Barrett, principal at Carolina Elementary School, said it is wonderful when the community and businesses come together and partner in such a way to show their support of the schools and the students by giving them the supplies they need to be successful. Barrett said some of the students attending the party on Friday,
Aug. 15, at the skating rink were students at her school and some were graduates who had moved on to the middle and high school.
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