July is just half over but back-to-school is looming large, and numerous efforts are underway to ensure that local schoolchildren are ready to be back in action.
First up is the Tucson City Council Ward 5 Back-to-School Backpack Event from 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 19 at the Old Pueblo Activity Center, 101 W. Irvington Rd.
“We gave away 624 backpacks in two hours last year, so we are pretty proud of that, and we are hoping to do more this year,” said Lupita Robles, Chief of Staff at Ward 5.
Several back-to-school events, like the popular Pima County Sheriff’s Department Badges & Backpacks Fun Fiesta, are coming up as school children across the area get set to return to the classroom.
Robles said that the starter backpack and basic school supplies are tailored to the essential classroom needs of children ages five and older. The majority of the children who attend the event come from South Tucson; children must be present to receive a backpack.
“It really shows that there is need out there. We try to do our best to help out a little bit for each child in a family. This way, at least parents don’t have to worry about a backpack itself and basic supplies and they can use their money to buy the extras that are needed,” said Robles, who has coordinated the event for several years.
She said that starting out with a new backpack and supplies can help to boost children’s confidence as they begin the school year.
“Anything for our kids. We want them to feel good about themselves going to back to school,” she said.
In-kind donations of backpacks and school supplies are welcome and can be dropped at the Ward 5 Office, 4300 S. Park Ave.
One of the city’s largest back-to-school events — The Pima County Sheriff’s Department Badges & Backpacks Fun Fiesta — returns in full force from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 31 at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.
More than 3,000 backpacks filled with supplies are expected to be distributed during the free event, which also provides convenient, one-stop access to a range of resources including dental and vision screenings, vaccines, low-cost sports physicals, bicycle helmets, car seats, and much more.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department Badges & Backpacks Fun Fiesta (pictured last year) is one of numerous backpack and school supplies giveaway events accepting donations. Badges & Backpacks also offers free vaccines and dental screenings, low-cost sports physicals, family fun, and much more from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 31 at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.
“It can be hard driving kids to different offices for vaccines, sports physicals and other appointments, so we wanted to make it all available in one place. People can bring their children here to get everything done. It helps take the burden off of parents,” said Brittany Abarr, Deputy with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and coordinator of the event.
Abarr is grateful to Banner Health and Aetna for their presenting sponsorship, and to partners such as the Pima County Health Department and El Rio Health for providing free vaccines and screenings. She is also excited about the low-cost sports physicals.
“These $20 sports physicals are the cheapest you can find anywhere, and physicians donated their time to make this possible. That is awesome,” she said.
Abarr said the event helps to elevate the profile of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and generate goodwill with community, particularly since children may associate law enforcement with frightening situations.
“Not only is this important for helping to get the children ready for the upcoming school year, but it allows the kids to interact with law enforcement and businesses in the community in a positive manner,” Abarr said.
Particular crowd pleasers at the event include the EOD Bomb Robot; SWAT vehicles; motorcycles; Search and Rescue side-by-sides; and the new recruiting Tahoe. The Center for Neurosciences Brain Bus will also be on site; and a raffle (tickets are free with entry) will be held for prizes such as iPad, apple AirPods; a Nintendo Switch; a bicycle and more.
“Our specialty units love interacting with the kids, showing off their equipment and explaining how their jobs work. We really want to show that we care at the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. We want to give back to the community,” Abarr said.
