Back to school event planned for later this month

With the final days of summer in sight, parents are once again faced with the annual back-to-school rush for supplies and clothes. 

An upcoming back to school community event will help prepare kids and parents for another year of learning.

The Back to School Bash will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at the Earl Scruggs Center at 103 S. Lafayette St., in Shelby. 

There will be games and prizes, speakers, free school supplies, hygiene items, clothes and food. 

Sade Cannon, who is organizing the Back to School Bash, said her purpose for putting together the event is two-fold.

She wanted to have kids prepared and excited to return to school and also engage them in more recreational activities and less social media.

“Kids need more recreational ideas and less technology,” she said.

She plans to have members of the community - including local football coaches - present to talk to the kids about sports and mental health in addition to providing school supplies.

“We have games. We have ice cream. We have free food,” Cannon said. “We have bounce houses, music, a photo booth. Anything that you can think of. We’re going to have a Tik Tok area that will be kid friendly.”

Event attendees include Dr. Tony George, former NFL player of the Trinity X Farmacy nonprofit and Shelby football coaches and trainers. 

The pro football player will be giving back to the community and talking to kids about football, safety and other topics. 

Cannon said George will be attending the back to school bash from 2 to 4 p.m.

“There’s more to football than just football, there's grades and SATs,” Cannon said.

George will also educate the kids on how to be aware of traumatic brain injuries, a common occurrence in both high school and college football players.

There will be football sessions with a monetary donation. Registration is required by Aug. 15.

The Back to School Bash will be the kick-off event for future events, and Cannon said they are fundraising to create a community center for Cleveland County kids and teenagers.

“We have programs we’re going to be implementing in different communities across the state. Shelby is the first event and first program center we’re going to be working on,” she said.

She said this will be the first of many events, which she is planning to host monthly, that will take place with the help of NFL players and community sponsors.

“We’re going to start having monthly events to bring kids together in a safe environment,” Cannon said. 

The intent is to keep kids busy and out of trouble.

“Too many of our youth don’t have a chance to just be children safely, and this is the atmosphere where they can just be safe and have fun,” she said.

Cannon said she is still taking donations for the event and welcomes any monetary donation, school supplies, hygiene items, and new or gently used clothes and shoes.

“I want people to put in more to our community, if we invest more into our community and our children we would have a better society,” she said.

For more information about the event or to make a donation, be a vendor or sponsor, contact Sade Cannon at 803-675-2518.