Community holding back-to-school rally to help prepare kids

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- It’s that time of year kids are getting ready to go back to school! Even though schooling may look a lot different this year, the community is coming together for a rally at Howard Park in South Bend on Saturday, August 1.

A member of the South Bend City Council and an organizer for the community rally event said they want to prepare kids for school as best they can.

“We definitely wanted to show that people can have an event while still practicing social distancing and being safe, “South Bend City Council member Sharon McBride said.

The Community Rally will provide kids in Kindergarten through 8th grade with masks, hand sanitizer, backpack, school supplies, as well as hygiene products such as toothpaste and a toothbrush. There will also be a free haircut for the first 25 kids that need one.

There are over 30 vendors and sponsors for Saturday's rally that include city council members, the Notre Dame Women’s Basketball coaching staff, South Bend Mayor's office, the South Bend Police Department, and South Bend and Mishawaka school districts.

McBride said the idea for the rally came after talking to the Notre Dame Basketball team’s new head coach.

“One of her biggest passions were kids going back to school, and with that and the coronavirus happening, we wanted to make sure that we were at least preparing kids with hand sanitizer and masks so we got together to put on this event,” McBride said.

The rally runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2020, at Howard Park in South Bend. There’s also a Back-to-School-Vaccine Blitz for children who are headed back to school.

The vaccination event will take place at the Central Fire Station on S. Michigan St. in South Bend from 9 a.m. to noon. The event is designed for kids who are entering kindergarten, grade 6, or 12. Parents and guardians should bring the immunization clinic consent form, a photo ID, insurance card, and the child’s vaccine records with them.