As the new school year quickly approaches, we will hold our 12^th annual Back to School giveaway event on Saturday, July 16.

The event will be held in the corporate parking lot in Carrollton and will run from 9AM until noon.

“We know that it takes a significant amount of time, effort and funds to prepare students to enter a new year of school,” said Ashley K. Bush, Southwire’s director of media and community relations. “Through this event, we’ll be giving away free bags of school supplies. We welcome everyone to come by and take part in this year’s Back to School giveaway event, while supplies last!”

More than 5,000 bags of supplies will be given out over the course of the day. In 2015, students from more than 200 schools in Georgia and Alabama attended the Carrollton-area Back to School giveaway event.

The bags of supplies are divided into two groups, based on grade level – kindergarten through third grade and fourth through 12^th grades.  Event coordinators work with school system curriculum specialists to determine the most needed supplies for students. For the 2016 event, three prong folders with pockets and pens were added to the list of items for fourth-12^th graders, replacing rulers and wooden pencils.

“Our Back to School supply giveaway is probably my favorite event of the entire year,” said Kristian Crowe Whittington, Southwire’s manager of employee engagement and communication and Project GIFT coordinator. “I love seeing the sweet faces of all of the kids that come through and get their very own bag of supplies to take home!”

In addition to receiving free school supplies, students may participate in a wide variety of additional offerings at the Back to School giveaway. We partner with local civic clubs, vendors and sponsors to provide dental and nutritional education, eye screenings, fingerprinting, fitness activities, ticket giveaways and more throughout the day. A highlight of the annual event is the My Favorite Teacher contest, sponsored by West Georgia Technical College.

“West Georgia Technical College is always gracious enough to sponsor one of the most fun parts of the event, the My Favorite Teacher contest. Students submit the name of their favorite teacher, along with the associating grade level and school,” said Bush. “After the event, we draw a name from the collection of teachers, and the lucky winner receives $1,500 to purchase necessities for his or her classroom.”

West Georgia Technical College also serves as a presenting sponsor for the event alongside Southwire. Other sponsors for this year’s event include Georgia Power, New Leaf Marketing, Carrollton Office Equipment, Associated Credit Union, Anthem, Greenway, Walmart, Gradick Communications, Times- Georgian and more.

Since its inception in Carrollton in 2004, our Back to School giveaway has expanded throughout the Southwire footprint.

“Back to School has made an even bigger impact in recent years. We’re excited to say that all of our Southwire locations now participate in Back to School by distributing supplies in their communities,” said Whittington. “Last year, we gave away more than 21,000 bags of supplies across Southwire, and, this year, we’re planning for even more!”

For additional information on the Back to School event, call (770) 832-4729.