Tylerites benefit from 10th annual School is Cool supply drive

In its 10th year, the City of Tyler hosted the annual School is Cool supply drive, but this time in the newly opened W.T. Brookshire Conference Center on Thursday evening.

“The flow here is amazing,” said Mayor Don Warren. “Usually it’s a little confusing, a little chaotic but here, everything is so smooth.”

Thanks to sponsors, approximately 2,000 backpacks were filled with the basic essentials — such as pens, highlighters, notebooks, glue, pencils and folders — to help students get a good start for the upcoming school year.

“So many of these kids rely on this annually and they come and they get their backpacks and it gives them that jump start into the school season. Some of the parents maybe can’t afford it, and this helps them out. All this is done through donations and sponsorships, the community rallies around helping all the young kids,” Warren said. “One lady said that she brings her kids every year and this is her fifth year to come and she relies on this for help.”

Sponsors set up tables throughout the conference center with grab bags and opportunities to win prizes.

UT Tyler School of Medicine had child-size lab coats so that children could take photos so they could possibly see themselves in the medical field one day.

“I want them to have an aspirational role model as they take a picture with our current students so they could see that medical school is a possibility,” said Carolyn Morales, Ph.D., the associate dean for community engagement at the UT Tyler School of Medicine. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to be invited and we hope to come back next year.”

The event also featured free haircuts, dental and hearing screenings, immunizations and more to help students get ready for the first day of school.

In addition to the sponsors and their tables, city employees and volunteers assisted Tylerites and their students, whether it was inside the conference center or outside with face painting, bounce houses and snow cones.

“They are amazing,” Warren said. “It’s after 5’o’clock, it’s time to go home but they’re not going home. They’re all here, still working and helping… for the city.”

In order to take advantage of the backpack giveaway, which was first-come, first-serve basis, students had to be present to retrieve them.

“I just love it,” Warren said. “This is a high point over here… it’s one of the things we do, what we’re supposed to do is have a call to serve attitude and this is what this is.”

Originally published on tylerpaper.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

In its 10th year, the City of Tyler hosted the annual School is Cool supply drive.

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