UHRICHSVILLE (Tusco TV) - The Twin Cities Kids Coalition is bringing area students together for one last hurrah before they head back to the classroom. 

Coordinator Wendy Mann says the coalition is having their third-annual Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 17th, from 6 to 10 pm in the Mustang Trucking Parking Lot. Mann says this will be similar to past events with free inflatables, carnival-style games, and a movie showing, but she says this time they’re bringing the fun to an area that’s sometimes labeled at the worst part of town.

"The west side of Uhrichsville is the most critical problem area in Uhrichsville, so why not have an event and bring our community together in the worst part of town, you know? Let’s make a community event and come together and show them that, you know what, we are better than what people are labeling us as," she says.

Mann says another change for this year is that they will be collecting supplies for the Claymont schools instead of passing them out.

"Why we’re doing it this way is if we take it into the schools, the teachers actually know what they’re going to use. The teachers actually know if they need a binder, if they need notebooks, if they need certain colored folders, and it helps the teachers make sure the students are prepared and ready to go when they enter their classroom," she says. 

Mann says people bring their supply donations with them to the event, or they can drop them off in advance at the Phone Zone on North Water Street or the Mustang Restaurant on state Route 800. She says they hope the new format will make the event a bit more relaxing for students. 

"It’s not gonna be that big long line of waiting to get school supplies. There’s not gonna be that big long line of waiting to get a book bag. It’s just come, find a game, go have fun," she says.

Mann says they have some great organizations co-sponsoring this year’s event including On Purpose Consulting and Sugarcreek’s Grace Mennonite Church, but she says there’s still a need for cash donations, along with snacks and beverages to pass out at the event. Anyone who wants to help can message the Twin Cities Kids’ Coalition on Facebook or email twincitieskidscoalition@gmail.com.

TUSCO TV