Planning and preparations are in full swing for Thursday night’s back-to-school party, made possible by the collaborative efforts of many in the community. Farmers Bank & Trust (FBT), Hope Public Schools (HPS) and the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce host this fun-filled family event that celebrates the start of a new school year and is completely free. Bounce houses, games and food will be throughout downtown for visiting families, and $3,000 in gift cards will be given away in raffles, thanks to FBT. Many other companies and organizations also participate in the party. The Klipsch Heritage Museum Association (KHMA) is providing sound and setting up a stage for Kayla White of HPS to emcee. The Junior Auxiliary of Hope will be joining the festivities to give kids their favorite temporary tattoos, as well as SWARK.Today, who will be providing popcorn. The party will open with the soulful sounds of Arnetta Bradford singing the national anthem, and the Hope Police Department (HPD) will block the streets and be present throughout the event to ensure safety and fun with children
This event is growing every day as more businesses and organizations decide to join in and have a booth, offer a sale or just attend parties, and FBT Market President Jacob Jones said, “the more the merrier “. FBT started the Back to School Bash a few years ago, and Jones said it has now grown into a community-wide celebration that he hopes many will attend. “This is just a good old-fashioned community event that the whole family can enjoy,” Jones said. “We want everyone to have a good time and show support for our kids and our schools. FBT is proud to be a community bank and fund an event that brings people together in a positive way.”
HPS Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Crossley said HPS is excited to begin the 2022-2023 school year and believes the return to school is a great step in building positive relationships with students and parents, as well as with local businesses. “Several companies and organizations collaborated to make this possible,” Crossley said. “We couldn’t be happier to celebrate the upcoming school year with the Hope community. We hope everyone comes out to enjoy the food, fun and drawings for $3,000 in gift cards. We love our community and want that to shine through our back to school party.”
Trevor Moses of the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce said he and Chamber representatives are thrilled with the collaboration that exists between different types of businesses and organizations. “I think this is a great way for them to engage with each other as well as with the local citizens,” Moses said. “This kind of collaboration also gives children and families a sense of community, as well as modeling for the next generation what can be achieved if we all work together.”
Back to School is from 5-8pm on Thursday night at the Hope Center. Hot dogs, chips, water, popcorn and snow cones will be free at the Hub, bounce houses and the stage will be on Main Street, and raffle tickets can be found in the Chamber of trade Some businesses will have sales, such as Oak-Lan giving away free chicken nuggets with every entree order, and some organizations will have booths, such as Child Care Aware and JumpStart Learning handing out coloring books. Most importantly, however, everyone in attendance will be ready to have a good time and celebrate a new school year with the rest of their community.
