HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Jaycee Community Building played host to the annual Back to School Bash. This was an event put on in partnership by the Huntsville Police Department and the Free 2 Teach initiative.
A big emphasis is being placed on safety in school zones by Huntsville P.D. "We mainly want our children being safe, walking to school, getting on those school busses," says Community Relations Officer Michael Tucker. The Transportation Research Board says 25,000 kids are injured walking to and from school each year. So, if you find your route goes through a school zone, Tucker says, "Give yourself, some extra time to get to work because those kids are going to be out in force."
The goal of Free 2 Teach is to donate supplies to teachers, so they can provide students with what they need. Executive Director Alison Kling says, "We don't want teachers to have to spend out of pocket for these basic items." The National Education Association says teachers will spend $500-$750 of their own money for school supplies used by their students.
Kling says, "Not all families are able to afford every single thing on the supply list all year long and often teachers are the ones who spend out of pocket to make up that difference."
Free 2 Teach has donated over $12 million of resources in their 10 year history. "The supplies and the funds and the resources gathered here today are going to impact teachers all year long," says Kling, "Our goal is to support children no matter what school they're in, no matter what zip code they are. We want to level the playing field for the kids in our communities."