As Summer winds down, preparations are gearing up to send students back to school prepared and ready to learn. In an effort to equip students and families for a successful school year, community back-to-school fairs will be held next weekend.
The 25th Annual Aurora Back to School Fair, co-sponsored by the City of Aurora, Communities in Schools, and community partners, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 at the John Harkness Center, 60 S. Fourth Street.
Children will receive a free backpack with grade-level school supplies and families will have an opportunity to visit booths and obtain information from school districts, social service organizations and government agencies. VNA Health Care will be on site with the mobile health clinic for school physicals and immunizations. Aurora Children’s Dental Service and Miles of Smiles will provide on-site dental exams. Eligible families must bring: A utility bill with an Aurora address, identification (driver’s license, state ID) and proof of income (check stubs, TANF, SNAP).
During the same weekend, Aurora aldermen will be host to annual events to bring the community together for the start of the 2019-2020 school year:
• Alderman Jenkins’ Back-To-School Fair.
Alderman-at-large Sherman Jenkins and AAMOU will be host to the 11th Annual Back-to-School Fair in partnership with 4th Ward alderman Bill Donnell, 6th Ward alderman Mike Saville and community partners from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9 at Greene Field Park, 774 Illinois Avenue, Aurora.
The event includes free food, games and school supplies.
• Alderman Garza’s Ice Cream Social.
Second Ward alderman Juany Garza and the Ward 2 Committee will be hosts to the 14th Annual Ice Cream Social from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11 at McCarty Park, 350 E. Galena Boulevard.
The event includes free tacos and ice cream with school supplies and performances from Those Funny Little People and Bomboncita the Clown and Ballet Folklorico Infinity!
• Alderman Hart-Burns’ Back To School Bash.
Seventh Ward alderman Scheketa Hart-Burns, Main Baptist Church and community partners will be hosts to the 32nd Annual Back-to-School Bash from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, at the corner of Farnsworth Avenue and Grand Boulevard.
There will be free food, T-shirts, haircuts, and school supplies for students.
—City government of Aurora