Annual back-to-school block party with great participation

Lines of students and their families lined the block to make their way to the festival, where children could pick up backpacks full of free school supplies, try on new shoes and enjoy hamburgers from Hy-Vee.

The party featured more than 15 informational booths with informational brochures, games and free souvenirs from CG Public Health, Mason City Police Department, Habitat for Humanity, Friends of the Family and others. Mason City Community Schools also had a tent where students could register for the school year.

At the local community health center, the children received free dental examinations as well as vaccinations, preventive medical examinations and fitness tests for sports.

Bayley McCormick, outreach coordinator for Mason City Community Health, said preparations for the party began months ago and went smoothly. She said North Iowa United Way and the Salvation Army played a big role in organizing the party.

She also said Hy-Vee sold them food for the party at cost and also donated time to grill. “We bought food for 800 (people), but it seems like we always run out and need more,” McCormick said. Fareway and Perkins in Clear Lake also provided free cookies for dessert.

By the end of the evening, all 800 burgers would be devoured – McCormick said organizers expected around 1,000 participants.

Families crowded around picnic tables in the shade of tents, and children lay on the warm asphalt with their friends to enjoy the barbecue. Some grandparents even brought their own folding chairs. Parents deftly maneuvered their strollers through a rush of giggling elementary school girls, happy toddlers, and children of all ages and sizes, proudly strutting around in their shiny new shoes.

McCormick said her favorite part of the party was seeing how committed the area’s community and businesses were to providing assistance and resources to anyone who needed help. “Many families, unfortunately, would not be able to get the services they need without this event,” she said.

Jen Arends, CEO of United Way of North Iowa, agreed with McCormick. “It’s nice to see all these community organizations come together and really help the people of northern Iowa,” she said. United Way of North Iowa was responsible for organizing the shoe drive and also provided some tables and chairs for the event.

More than 400 pairs of sneakers in a variety of sizes and colors were donated for the children to take home for free. The children quickly took off their new shoes to play in their socks on an inflatable slide provided by the North Iowa Youth Center.

“Without the generous donors who donate shoes and money, we wouldn’t have been able to do the shoe drive every year,” Arends said. “We’ve had a lot of good corporate support, for example from Winnebago and Kiwanis. … We have about 10 or 12 different sponsors that have really helped pay for a lot of the shoes.”

The Salvation Army also provided free backpacks. Salvation Army volunteer Isac Peterson, 15, said they brought 900 donated backpacks to hand out. He said he felt volunteering was a good way to help his community. “It’s fun to see people get backpacks and things they need, school supplies and everything,” Peterson said.

The Mason City Police Department also had a booth with a simulator that showed how hot it gets inside a vehicle in the summer to raise awareness of the dangers of leaving children or pets in a car, even for a few moments.

Courtney Moretz, MCPD community resource specialist, said this is the third year we’ve had the booth at the street fair. “I just love seeing how excited everyone is,” Moretz said.

Arends said the children’s joy and excitement was her favorite part of the annual party. “Seeing how happy a new pair of shoes can make a child is truly amazing,” she said.