BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Ready Set Back 2 School Health and Wellness Fair returns to the Kern County Museum on Thursday, Aug. 6, with thousands of backpacks and school supplies ready to be given away to families.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Organizers recommend arriving early to get through the line and take advantage of everything the event has to offer.
What began 17 years ago as a small backpack giveaway in a parking lot has grown into one of Kern County's biggest back-to-school traditions. The event has expanded from a parking lot to Mill Creek Park and now fills the Kern County Museum with more than 90 community partners offering healthcare and dental services, employment resources and school supplies.
Behind the event is months of work by employees with Kern County Child Support Services, who hold fundraisers, collect donations and work alongside community partners to make it possible.
Toni Kendrick, with Kern County Child Support Services, said the staff who raise the money are central to the event's success.
"They're the reason why we have the event. They raise all the money to purchase the backpacks. I think it's rewarding for us," Kendrick said.
For many employees, seeing children leave with backpacks they helped provide is the most meaningful part of the day.
Antonio Vital said the event gives staff a chance to see the results of their efforts firsthand.
"They can see the fruits of their labor, so to speak, when they've been raising funds for a few months and now they get to see the backpacks actually given out to children," Vital said.
This year, organizers hope to distribute more than 3,000 backpacks along with enough school supplies to help families through the school year. With the cost of back-to-school shopping continuing to climb, organizers say every backpack can make a difference.
"But I hear from the staff that there is a lot of thank-yous. It's just one last thing they have to buy for the school year," Kendrick said.
The event is designed to offer more than free backpacks. Dozens of local organizations will be on hand providing health services, employment information and other resources to support families beyond the first day of school.
"This is a very serious job that we have, but this is the one day of the year that we get to actually enjoy and actually serve our community first hand," Vital said.
Kendrick said the event reflects something larger about the community.
"It's just, it's just a wonderful feeling to see us coming together. You know, Kern County is big on giving back to the community, and this is just a small part of that," Kendrick said.
The Ready Set Back 2 School Health and Wellness Fair takes place Thursday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Kern County Museum.
"Enjoy it. Enjoy the event and what we have to offer," Kendrick said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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