By JAMES BELL
Hays Post
From kindergarten to high school, students in Hays have returned to their classrooms.
To celebrate the beginning of the year, Holy Family Elementary and Thomas More Prep-Marian have planned the Back 2 School Bash from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at Holy Family, 1800 Milner.
While the annual event typically brings hundreds of students and families together on the TMP-M campus, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Holy Family, the elementary school will host the event, said Tracy Perrett, Holy Family Elementary administrative assistant.
“It's a free event,” she said. And “anybody from the community is welcome to join.”
The event allows parents and students to get reacquainted for the year as they enjoy the festivities, Perrett said.
“It's going to be a fun-filled night again,” said Joe Roth, TMP Advancement Office assistant.
The event will offer free food.
“Astra Bank is providing hot dogs and chips for us. Knights of Columbus is providing watermelon, and the TMP-M students in the Key Club will be helping us with cotton candy," Perrett said.
The TMP Booster Club also will offer popcorn, and snow cones will be available.
“We will have a band, DOC, playing for us,” Perrett said. “We're super excited about that. That's another new change.”
Activities for children will include bouncy houses, laser tag and access to the playground and basketball court.
“They can just run wild,” Perrett said.
“And then, along with everything else…I think the next biggest thing that we've got is old TMP Marion football uniforms,” Roth said.
TMP-M head football coach “Grant Stevenson, this year, was going through all the storage stuff and decided that ‘Hey, we're going to sell these at The Back 2 School Bash.’ So if you played or knew somebody who played in the last, I think, 30 years' worth of jerseys, and you'd like memorabilia from that, please come on out and check those out and swipe up your jersey.”
Funds from those jersey sales will be given to the football team for future equipment purchases, he said.
“We also have raffles,” Perrett said. “A lot of the teachers have decided to donate things…So when the students get there, they can register for the raffles, and then we will pick a student for each prize.”
While the event is hosted by the schools, community sponsors make it possible, Roth said.
“It's always great that we have the businesses and individuals out there in the community that give their monetary donations, but also just a big shout out and thank you to all of our volunteers that help out with this,” he said.
“Whether it's the football and volleyball teams that are going to be manning the bouncy houses and the laser tag, or the parents that are going to bring different balls and games and help us set up and set up, and teardown is a big one, just a big, big thank you to anybody who's donated anything, any items, monetary or just their time to help us out with this.”
Perrett said everyone is welcome to attend, even if they have no affiliation with the schools.
“We encourage you to bring friends, family. Anyone is welcome,” she said. “We want you to come and visit our school and see what we're all about.”
