Students get jump start on returning to school through celebration

Brothers Jared, Jalny and Gretzky Obas sat on the ground at Nelson Street Park to inventory the contents of their new books bags.

They pulled out notebook paper, rulers, pencils, crayons and personal hygiene kits and 0ther items they will need for the new school year.

The brothers were among the nearly 300 students who received new book bags packed with school supplies Saturday, Aug. 17, during the 14th annual Back-to-School Celebration and Free Book Bag Giveaway sponsored by the Men of Faith, Integrity and Character.

Held from 4 p.m. to 7 at Nelson Street Park, all children attending from kindergarten through the eighth grade received a book bag packed with school supplies.

Hygiene kits were provided by All the King’s Children.

To help speed up the process, children were given a colored wrist band as they entered the park and later lined up according to its color to move through a line to receive the items.

Free hot dogs, watermelon, ice water and icy treats were served. Games, including basketball and miniature football tosses, were provided, too.

Children played on the playground equipment and enjoyed rides on the Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Department Pickle Train.

“Thank God for the (cooler and dry) weather,” said Al Southerland, one of the Men of FIC founders. “I really don’t think we had as many kids this year as we have been having. I don’t know the reason for that, but we still have a lot of school supplies that we are going to be giving away.

“We have just got to figure out the best way to distribute what we have left. We just thank everybody for coming out.”

Southerland said he was not sure how many book bags were distributed, but estimated it was between 250 and 300 out of the 400 on hand.

Any book bags and supplies not given away Saturday will go to local schools.

“We have got to see how many schools would like to have some because in the past we have had some (schools) that said they still had some from last year which is a bad thing to say because I know during the school year kids still need supplies all during the year,” he said.

“We would hope any book bags that we give them (schools), that they would give them to the kids. We have to check with the schools to see or the schools can check with us.”

The book bags and supplies are normally donated to Brogden Middle School and Brogden Primary School, Dudley; Mount Olive Middle School; Spring Creek Elementary School and Spring Creek Middle School near Seven Springs; Grantham Elementary School and Grantham Middle School, Grantham; Carver Elementary School; and North Duplin Elementary School at Calypso.

A lot of times Southern Wayne High School, Dudley, does not need the book bags and supplies, Southerland said.

“Sometimes we give out monetary donations, depending on how our donations came in,” he added. “We want to make sure that we spend every dollar that we get for book bags on this event — not on other projects that we have going on.”

The reason, Southerland said, is so that people who make a donation to the book bag event will not think the money is being spent on something else.

Monies for the event were donated, and Men of FIC members purchased the items either online or through Walmart, he said.

Men of FIC gave away 25 book bags during the first book bag event held 14 years ago. Southerland said he does not know how many book bags have been given away since them, but said it probably numbers in the thousands.

Southerland said he had never envisioned the event growing as large as it has.

“God is good,” he said. “God is good.”

Southerland expressed appreciation to all of the volunteers who assisted on Saturday. Some just showed up to help without having to be asked, he added.

“They come out and see that help is needed and they jump in,” he said.

The Rotary Club of Mount Olive, American Legion, Carver Alumni, All the King’s Children, Mount Olive Police Department and First Pentecostal Holiness Church participated, and the Mount Olive Parks and Recreation Department Pickle Train gave free rides.

“That is the thing,” Southerland said. “If we would all work together, we could make it so much easier. The Men of FIC could not pull this off by themselves.

“So we are thankful for all of the assistance — all the nonprofits, all of the organizations that have come. I have a daughter who brings her sorority sisters, and they help out.”

The event is a good example of the saying that it takes a village to raise a child, Southerland added.

It also shows what can be accomplished when people work together, he said.

“Some of these organizations, we don’t even have to ask them any more,” Southerland continued. “They ask us if we need any help, and if we just get everybody together and work together — if I see somebody doing something I shouldn’t have to wait for them to come to me, I should go to them and say, ‘What can I do.’

“And if we all did that, what a wonderful community we would have.”

All the King’s Children is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and has been participating in the book bag giveaway all of those 10 years, said Marcia Umphlette Whitley, the nonprofit’s founder.

“It is not as big as last year, but it is a great crowd,” Whitley said. “I know there have been a lot of other events in the area. I wish that it meant there wasn’t as big of a need, but we are here when they need us. We will deliver some of the extras to the schools so that kids who couldn’t come will definitely have what they need.

“The Men of FIC was already sponsoring the backpack giveaway, so we joined in with the personal care kits (starting 10 years ago). It means a lot to be able to come out and fellowship with the kids and get them started back to school the right way.”

A 10-year anniversary celebration is being planned for All the King’s she added. However, participation in the book bag event was not part of that, she added.

“We are having a game night at Mays Chapel Baptist Church (3831 S U.S. 117 Alt., Dudley) on Tuesday, Sept. 17,” Whitley said. “We also are trying to help with a prayer walk for the Mount Olive community — University of Mount Olive students, Mount Olive Middle, Carver, North Duplin, all the students who call Mount Olive home.”

The Back-to-Class Prayer Walk will be held Sunday, Sept. 8, at 4 p.m. at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex on the UMO campus.

Other anniversary events might be scheduled as well, Whitley said.