LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Food Alliance and Kukui Grove Center, in coordination with the state Department of Education, announced that the 10th annual Back to School Bash will take place on July 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the shopping center.
The annual event, which provides school students with free backpacks filled with school supplies based on Kaua‘i school’s Back to School needs, calls for the distribution of 2,500 backpacks. The backpacks are appropriately packed to include kindergarten to fifth grade and sixth grade through 12th grade.
These backpacks will be distributed to students, who are preregistered.
Previous events have always sold out. To ensure a backpack, preregistration starts at 9 a.m. on July 1 at the Kukui Grove website. Online preregistration can be done by visiting www.kukuigrovecenter.com, and then following the links.
For people who fail to get registered, the Back To School Bash fills the shopping center with school-related resources offering back to school supplies, many at no cost to guests. There is also an entertainment lineup, and a Passport to Fun activity that earns more school-related supplies and materials.
Kupuna volunteers from the Kaua‘i Ocean Discovery worked to reduce the disappointment of the event being sold out by reminding all of its guests stopping by on Saturday of the impending preregistration date.
Melissa McFerrin Warrack, the special events coordinator for Kukui Grove, said the early announcement also allows for sponsorship and volunteer opportunities for people who wish to be a part of the event this year. Other sponsors include Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance, the Table 53 program at the Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort in Po‘ipu, Kamehameha Schools and more.
The Back to School core committee will spearhead a packing campaign a few days before the July 13 event. There are volunteer opportunities for people to help pack the 2,500 backpacks. Volunteers can sign up at Kukui Grove Center.
Individuals and families wishing to contribute to the event providing back to school supplies to keiki can contribute online at www.kukuigrovecenter.com.
