More than 500 children already are pre-registered for SERVE's Back to School Fair on Saturday, and event organizer Julie Roark said she expects to see hundreds more show up to receive school supplies for the coming year.
"Last year we ended up with about 670, but I think we're going to exceed that. In July we had 1,116 families come to the food bank - that's 3,184 people," said Roark, director of SERVE's Callaway Action Network. "Based on that need, I'm really thinking we're going to be getting 800 kids."
Children that attend the Back to School Fair Saturday will have access to school supplies and services provided by 37 different entities.
"We're going to have free hair cuts, hearing screenings by the Lion's Club, vision screenings by Internationa Eye Care, Brice Windsor is going to do height and weight and talk about nutrition, Bryce Koeling is going to do spine care and is going to be raffling off a bike, the health department is going to do immunizations, there will be dental screenings by Community Health Center and the Masons will be there doing the Missouri Child Identification Program," Roark said. "Just a lot of good things. I think it's going to be an exciting day."
Even with all of that support from community businesses and organizations, Roark said SERVE has thus far raised only $8,500 of the estimated $14,000 needed to provide a full stock of supplies for all of the children expected.