An evening shower didn’t slow Oglethorpe County’s annual Community Day last Saturday.
A record 51 businesses, churches, vendors and civic organizations gathered at Oglethorpe County Middle School to hand out free school supplies, hygiene products, haircuts and food to an estimated 250-300 students and families.
“To see that many organizations and people give up time and resources to come and support people they don’t know is incredible,” former Oglethorpe County School superintendent Beverley Levine said.
Levine, who retired as superintendent in June, started her new job at Family Connection on July 5, but planning for this year’s Community Day began in March, when the committee started meeting weekly to brainstorm ideas and choose a theme.
Levine said the committee chose this year’s theme of hygiene to help prepare kids for life and avoid duplicating supplies given to students by the school system.
“We wanted to have something that we could say, ‘Hey, we know you’ve got your school supplies, but let’s prepare you for the school day,’ ” Levine said.
Of the 51 participating partners, 30 handed out supplies ranging from backpacks, free books from the Oglethorpe County Library and pencils to deodorant, dental floss, hairbrushes, soap and socks.
Retail store gift cards were given as door prizes.
“Times are hard right now,” said Keisha Edwards, whose niece attends OCHS. “People need socks, things like that on a day-to-day basis. If your bills are high, that comes first, but also you gotta pay for school supplies. It’s nice because it gives families a little leeway and a little break.”
OCHS graduate Brian “Hercules” Monroy offered free haircuts for attendees on the cafeteria stage.
Students placed their items in sponsor-branded tote bags, which were new this year and handed out at check-in. Leftover bags have been donated to the school system and will be used during local food pantries and drives.
To encourage visits to every table, attendees were given a “passport,” which was stamped at each booth after learning about the organization and collecting supplies.
“It’s cool to learn about them before you even let your child join it,” Edwards said. “You get insight on what they're doing in there.”
Once completed, students could redeem their sheet for a hot dog meal, served by volunteers from the Connection Church Athens.
Local food vendors and stores, music, a performance from the OCHS cheerleading squad, photo booth, a touch-a-truck display and an inflatable obstacle course set up by the Army National Guard were outside.
Seniors from the OCHS softball and football teams, along with the recreation department’s 9U football team, were honored at the start.
Even as gray clouds, gusts of wind and a steady rain overtook the parking lot, the spirit of the event remained bright. Kids danced and played in the rain, and friends and families helped each other pack up tables and tents before all heading home.
“If only the whole world could just see this type of event and see that it’s all about coming together,” Levine said. “The world would be a better place.”