KILLEEN, Texas - It was the last weekend for central Texas students to let loose before heading back to school. The summer ended with a plethora of parties and back to school events, but nothing that compared to the Back to School Bash held on Saturday, Aug. 22, at Camp Triumph in Copperas Cove.
The Back to School Bash or “B2SB” was organized by Denise Jones, the Agency Organizational Program Coordinator for Fort Hood and her event planning foundation.
“The last four years God has placed this on my heart to do this for the community,” said Jones. “And this was my first year actually going through with it.”
The B2SB was open to kids of all ages and included an array of age oriented games and door prizes.
The event included a bouncy house, a Sponge Bob character for the little ones, a football and a basketball clinic for the youth, face painting, leisure swimming and praise dancers as well as a performance from the Copperas Cove Copperettes.
One of the games was a talent show in which kids were able to showcase their musical abilities in front of the crowd. The winner was able to receive a bag.
“I remember growing up as a little girl and not having the necessary supplies that I needed for school,” said Jones.
“This is my way of giving back and lending a helping hand.”
Jones came up with the idea of creating this event while at dinner.
“I always tell my husband, Perry, that the biggest and best ideas die at the kitchen table,” she said. “This year I got up from the table and decided that I was going to go through with it.”
With the help of the Copperas Cove community and local vendors, who came out to showcase their businesses, the bash was quite a success.
A total of 195 book bags were donated filled with school supplies to families in attendance. The first 100 kids to arrive received the first book bags and the rest were given away as awards for the various games at the event.
“The overall goal was met,” said Jones. “Almost 200 Families benefited from the school supplies and book bags.”
Next year, Jones plans to host the Back to School Bash once again and anticipates an even bigger crowd with more activities and book bags to give away.
“This year I prayed to have at least 100 book bags and thankfully received almost 200,” said Jones. “Prayerfully, if the Lord will do the same we will be back here next year.”
The event fee was $3.00 for military families and $5.00 regular price with all proceeds going towards the cost of the book bags and supplies.
“There is not anywhere you can go and get a book bag full of school supplies for just $5.00,” said Staff Sgt. Reginald Alexander, a contingency contracting officer for the 901st Contingency Contracting Battalion at Fort Hood.
Although there was a fee this time, Jones hopes with the growth of the event in the future that the number of vendors and sponsors will increase enough to negate the requirement for entrance fees.
“This is something that Mrs. Jones chose to do out of the goodness of heart for the community and it should not go unnoticed,” said Alexander. “It takes a lot for a person to want to help others and it takes even more for a person to want to continue to help others in the future.”
The bash allowed many families to gather together and celebrate the start of a brand new school year. For many school children, events like the Back to School Bash provide a sense of relief knowing the students will be well equipped with basic supplies needed to learn.
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2015 10:16 |
| Story ID: | 175702 |
| Location: | KILLEEN, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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