At-Risk Children Lined Up for Backpacks
4,397 attended the Back to School Party and Cookout

The Durham Rescue Mission held its 15th Annual Back to School Party and Cookout for at-risk children today.  GlaxoSmithKline’s Joe Touey, SVP North America Pharma IT and Tom Scales, VP National Accounts, Dr. Bert L’Homme, DPS Superintendent, Wendell Davis, Durham County Manager, and Durham Rescue Mission CEO Ernie Mills rang the old school bells to mark the beginning of another school year and the Durham Rescue Mission’s Back to School Party and Cookout!

Children and their parents started lining up in front of the Durham Rescue Mission’s Chapel at (time) for today’s event.  By 5 AM there was already a large group of men, women, and children in line even though they knew the party did not start until 9:00 AM.

Parents and children feared there would not be enough backpacks for everyone so they wanted to be the first in line to ensure they would receive a backpack filled with new school supplies for a new school year.

Generous sponsors GlaxoSmithKline, Crosspointe Church of Cary, as well as individuals, churches, and organizations joined with the Durham Rescue Mission to provide a day of fun, food, clothing and 2,927 backpacks filled with much needed school supplies were given to needy children in the Triangle.

The Durham Rescue Mission’s goal with this event each year is to provide new backpacks and school supplies for at-risk children in an effort to encourage them to be excited about going back to school and getting a good start on the new school year!

Our thanks to GlaxoSmithKline and all in the community who helped make this event possible.

Event Totals
4,397 in attendance
3,753 plates of hot dogs and chips served
2,927  Backpacks given to needy children
11,543 Pieces of clothing given away
1,800 food bags distributed to the needy families