School Supply Drives Help Thousands of Arkansas Students
By: KARK 4 News
Updated: August 18, 2012
Hundreds in Pine Bluff show up for school supplies - but get more than just paper and pencils.
The 7th annual school supply giveaway at the Pine Bluff Convention Center Saturday afternoon had music and food in addition to free school supplies.
The event is put on every year by the Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services Department's Banishing Racial Animosity Vigorously Everywhere chapter, or B.R.A.V.E., as its also known.
The organization was able to work with local Walmart stores to have supplies donated for an estimated 2,000 students.
"We're just happy we can contribute to people saving money so they can live better," says Walmart Store Manager Robert Gann.
The giveaway stretches further than just Pine Bluff, going to kids in communities all around the area.
School supply giveaways were happening in the Central Arkansas area as well on Saturday with the Clinton Presidential Center's "Back to School Bash."
The bash gave away free backpacks stuffed with supplies for the first 12-hundred kids to show up. Kids also received free hair cuts and vaccinations, and played games and got to ride in fire trucks.
It's all a way for the Clinton Foundation to give back.
Clinton Foundation spokesman Jordan Johnson says, "This is something we've been doing for the past couple of years as a way to give back to the community. It was evident this morning - it was clear there's a need in the community for things like this."
The event was sponsored by 3M.
