Back 2 School Giveaway event to help children in need

CHUBBUCK – Children in need can get school supplies and more for free at the Back 2 School Giveaway in Chubbuck on Saturday.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 202 West Siphon Road.

This event is designed to help children and families in need be prepared for the upcoming school year.

“Any family who is in need this year, budgets are tight, you’re having a hard time as you are getting ready to send your kids back to school — this is open for K-12 students,” said Joshua Robinson, event director.

Organizers are estimating school supplies being given to around 1,500 children. But school supplies aren’t the only way that these kids will be helped. They will be offered things such as food, clothing, health evaluations, dental and vision checks, and and immunization registration.

It’s a shopping experience. They have to wait in line, and register and then they get to choose what they want. They are given a bag, and they get to fill it as full as they want, with whatever they want.

“They get to pick their crayons and their pencils. No part of it is a give-out — they get to pretend like they are going into the store themselves and picking those things out,” Robinson said.

But it’s not all preparation for school — the event also includes face painting, inflatable toys, raffle prizes and other booths.

This event has been happening for 10 years, and it is still going strong.

“I’m not trying to have 20,000 people here, but I’m trying to have the 4,000 or 5,000 people that need to be here,” Robinson said.