I had so much fun at AISD's Back-to-School Bash and Safety Fair this past Saturday at the Austin Convention Center. This annual event drew about 3,000 children and parents, and it was a great start for the school year. Thanks to our co-sponsors — the City of Austin, Time Warner Cable, A+ Federal Credit Union, Univision, the Round Rock Express, and Seton Family of Hospitals — the youngsters received free backpacks and bicycle helmets, as well as those really critical immunizations.
The "safety" component of the Bash is important. The kids practiced how to cross a street, and how to safely ride their bikes and get on and off a school bus. They met police officers and even some very friendly police dogs. I joined the street crossing demonstration, and followed every direction of the crossing guard.
Sixty-five community organizations also participated to provide helpful information for families and children.Joining me at the Bash were community leaders demonstrating their commitment to kids' safety through The Power of Us — Austin City Council member Chris Riley, Police Chief Art Acevedo, AISD Police Chief Ernesto Riojas, Travis County Sheriff Greg Hamilton, and Travis County Constable Danny Thomas. Kudos to all them for turning out to help Austin kids!
After the Bash, I stopped by Sanchez Elementary School to greet the wonderful volunteers of For the Children, an organization that collects and distributes school supplies to schools whose families need them. It was great meeting these folks who give their time to help students have the basic tools they need for school. On Saturday, the volunteers packed up supplies for campuses, so they were busy getting together all those pencils, notebooks, crayons, and that white pasty glue (remember that stuff?). Donations are always needed and appreciated, so if you'd like to help out For the Children, here's their website:
http://www.schoolsuppliesforthechildren.org/
Finally, remember that school starts next Monday, August 23. I'll be visiting campuses all day and will post about my stops. That first day of school is always exciting for kids, teachers, parents — and even superintendents!
