By Ed Kane
Caring For Kids and Lakewood First Lions Club joined forces again to provide a Back To School event for the kids and families in the Springbrook area of Lakewood on Tuesday August 13th. Also providing a health care element was Community Health Care in collaboration with Caring For Kids. The event was conducted at Springbrook Park, a park and community adopted by Lakewood First Lions with the goal of improving the quality of life for hundreds of children from lower income households.
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- While volunteers from Caring For Kids and Lakewood First Lions Club, along with many community kids, set up the supply line and kitchen in preparation for the 2013 Back To School celebration, younger children worked up an appetite on the playground equipment at Springbrook Park. Photo by Ed Kane.
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- After the picnic opening of the event children lined up to receive backpacks which they then filled with essential supplies to begin their coming school year. Photo by Ed Kane.
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- 400 hotdogs were served at the Back To School celebration. The late afternoon community gathering has become more festival in nature since the Lions Club and Caring For Kids adopted the community about four years ago. Photo by Ed Kane.
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- A child is asked what condiments she would like on her hotdog. Photo by Ed Kane.
Perfect weather, a hotdog picnic and much needed school supplies brought out a large gathering of families, providing the added benefits of neighborhood bonding and strengthening. Based on the number of hotdogs served and school backpacks distributed, the attendance, almost all children, was in excess of 470. It was the second of three events of the week; two Ready to Learn fairs and the Springbrook Back to School celebration are estimated to provide up to 3,500 children in the Clover Park School District with necessary school supplies.
“It was tons of work to get ready for, but it was a fun celebration, said Diane Formoso, founder of Caring For Kids, who boasted that Springbrook (community) holds a special place in our (Caring For Kids and Lakewood First Lions Club volunteers) hearts. Both groups have also combined forces to provide material and manpower to help the community create a successful vegetable and fruit garden at the park.