More than 250 children are already registered for the second annual Moniteau County Back to School Fair.
The event, which will be held 2-7 p.m. Thursday, July 28, at California High School, features health screenings and school supplies free of charge to any child who attends school in Moniteau County, regardless of income level.
Those who have registered are already scheduled to come to the fair in varying shifts. Those who have not yet registered are asked to come at 5:30 p.m.
"Many families are facing tough times, and we're hopeful the fair can ease the burden of back-to-school supply shopping," Co-facilitator Tawnya Clause said. "On top of that, the health screenings allow busy families to get a whole lot done in one stop."
Students must complete the health screenings before they go into the school supply area.
Beyond the school supplies and health screenings, 24 informational and fun booths will be set up, said Alicia Whitson, a fair committee member. There will be booths for MoDOT, Scholastic Books, Central and Commerce banks and Bond's Pharmacy, to name a few.
An army of more than 70 volunteers is helping with the event.
"We would never have been able to pull this off by ourselves," said committee member Andrea Kincaid. "The volunteers are helping with everything from registration to snacks, health screening and school supply distribution, as well as other jobs that must be done to make the event happen."
Clause said the purpose of the event is simple. "Our goal is to send kids back to school equipped with the necessary school supplies and to identify health issues that could interfere with the learning process."
Clause gave thanks to those who have helped organize the fair. "Thank you to all of the businesses, local clubs/groups and the members of the Back to School Fair Committee. Without their ideas, support and hard work, we just could not have pulled everything off."