This past weekend Micah House After-School Program, Redlands Police Department and Ride Yourself Fit Health & Bike Safety Expo put on their annual community back to school event. Each year the organizations invite the public out to receive school supplies and enjoy music and laughs. This event was not limited to only Redlands residents, in fact, there were people coming from all over the local communities such as San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, and many more.
"Micah House serves students after school all year long helping them complete daily homework assignments, improve reading comprehension while meeting social, emotional and spiritual needs. It is a joy and privilege to partner with the community to provide backpacks, bikes and resources for students in need at the beginning of each school year.” Alison Anderson, Executive Director of the Micah House After-School Program.
This year the Back 2 School Jam provided 1300 students with backpacks and supplies. 1100 backpacks filled with supplies and an additional 200 bags of supplies for a total of 1300 students served. This weekend over 4,500 people attended, visited over 40 partner booths and students received school supplies, rode bikes, got haircuts, ate breakfast and lunch are prepared to walk into school confident they have the tools needed for success.
The event started at 8:00 am but that did not stop the early worms from arriving way before that. The lines for the supplies started at 5:00 am with distribution starting at 8:00am. The line could be seen going up the street and wrapping around the corner. This did not turn people away though. Some people endured the blazing sun for over an hour in order to receive their supplies.
Thankfully the Micah House After-School Program had over 100 volunteers going throughout the line providing anyone waiting with bottled water to keep hydrated in Saturday’s intense heat. The line died down a little before 11:00 am as they gave away the last of the packs.
Those who did not receive backpacks were able to visit one of over 40 vendors that had additional supplies such as notebooks, pens and pencils, and lunch bags. Among the 40 vendors there were the Redlands Police and Fire departments. They were providing the community with free hotdogs and waters for their visit throughout the event.
Along with the many booths Ride Yourself Fit Health & Bike Safety was in attendance allowing children to ride bikes along their designated paths. One of the program directors watched a little girl who had never been on a bike learn to ride on Saturday. Ride Yourself Fit volunteers worked with her to get her going and took her around the course until she got the hang of it. This is an experience she never would have had without RYF.
Each booth had its own unique presence. Some gave away shoes, others were providing back to school haircuts, and many were providing helpful information about their programs. A crowd favorite seemed to be the Inland Empire Therapy Dogs that were in attendance. Each dog was there greeting the children and autographing their pictures with their paws. Needless to say those pups brought constant smiles to the faces of many children and adults.
This event has grown over the last decade. It started with Trinity Church providing backpacks for the students who attend the Micah House After-School program during the school year. They quickly partnered with the Redlands Police Department, Fire Department and the City to reach more students in North Redlands. Each year more organizations have invested in helping kids start the school year strong. Last year they combined with Family Service Association and Ride Yourself Fit Health & Bike Safety Expo. The bikes are a fantastic addition to the event and provide an amazing time for the community.