As summer draws to a close, the Cleveland area is gearing up to help students prepare for the upcoming school year with two significant events aimed at providing essential supplies.
Backpack Giveaway at Santa Fe Middle School
The first event is scheduled for Thursday, July 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Santa Fe Middle School, located at 7581 CR 3540 in the Colony Ridge communities south of Plum Grove. This annual backpack giveaway is organized by Pct. 6 Constable Zack Harkness and his team, with sponsorship from Quadvest Water and Sewer Utility. More than 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies will be distributed to children.
In addition to the backpacks, free toiletries will be available to families to help them get ready for the new school year. Items include toilet tissue, paper towels, laundry detergent, hand soap, and body wash. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Families must be present to receive these items, ensuring that supplies are given directly to those in attendance.
The toiletries are provided by Lions Club International and will be distributed by volunteers from Love Is the Assignment Inc. For more information on the backpack drive, contact Constable Harkness at 281-593-8418. For details on the toiletry giveaway, email community@litainc.com.
Back to School Spectacular at Cleveland Civic Center
The second event, the annual Back to School Spectacular hosted by the City of Cleveland, will take place on Friday, July 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cleveland Civic Center, 201 Peach St., Cleveland. Sponsored by the Health Center of Southeast Texas, this event aims to distribute up to 800 backpacks to students kindergarten through fifth grade.
This year’s distribution method has been updated for convenience. Instead of lining up inside the civic center, families can remain in their vehicles and receive items in a drive-thru format. Children must be present to receive a backpack, ensuring that the supplies reach the intended recipients.
The backpacks, donated by various local organizations including Cleveland ISD, Lone Star College, Whataburger, First Methodist Church of Cleveland, A to Z Dental, Prosperity Bank, Texas Emergency Hospital in Cleveland, Frontier Waste, and Sari’s Creations, will be filled with essential school supplies. Items include pocket folders, construction paper, notebook paper, pens, pencils, rulers, crayons, erasers, highlighters, and a water bottle filled with additional back-to-school necessities.
The Back to School Spectacular is designed to assist all school-age children in the community, regardless of the school district they attend. Families are encouraged to not take more supplies than are needed. If you are served at one event and receive a backpack for your students, then leave backpacks at the other event for other families in need.