Joint Effort Provides Back-To-School Supplies
MARION COUNTY –For the second year in a row, the combined efforts of AdventHealth Ocala, the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, and Marion County Public Schools will make it possible for thousands of local students to receive free backpacks filled with supplies just in time for the start of school.
The second annual Community Giveback event, supported by Thaddeus Bullard, aka WWE Global Ambassador Titus O'Neil, and The Bullard Family Foundation, takes place Saturday, July 29, and will distribute over 7,000 backpacks filled with school supplies at 10 locations throughout Marion County.
The main location will be at the AdventHealth Ocala Auxiliary Center (1542 SW 1st Ave, Ocala, 34471). Event hours are 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Satellite locations are also open 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and include:
- Dunnellon Middle School (21005 Chestnut St., Dunnellon, 34431)
- Fort McCoy School (16160 NE CR 315, Fort McCoy, 32134)
- Lake Weir High School (10351 SE Maricamp Rd., Ocala, 34472)
- Liberty Middle School (4773 SW 95 St., Ocala, 34476)
- North Marion High School (151 W. County Rd. 329, Citra, 32113)
- Friends Recycling Center Powered by Marion County Children’s Alliance (no registration required; drive-thru only)
Additional supporting sites and their alternate dates include:
- City of Belleview’s Lake Lillian (July 28, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
- Forest Community Center (Aug. 5, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.)
- Frank DeLuca YMCA Gymnasium (Aug. 8, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
MCPS parents and guardians should register their students at this link. Each student is required to be registered under their name, not a parent or guardian name. To serve the most children possible, students can only be registered for one location. A student number for MCPS students is mandatory. If the student is attending a non-MCPS school, please enter the student ID based on the school location.
Event sponsors include: The Bullard Family Foundation, Skanska, Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, YMCA, SellState, Heart of Florida Health Center, Florida Health – Marion County, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion County Fire Rescue, The Boyd Group, City of Belleview, Marion County Children’s Alliance, DeLuca Toyota, Zone Health and Fitness, State Farm – Angie Lewis, SouthState, Regions Bank, Quantum Fiber, Early Learning Coalition of Marion County, Gill Logistics, Florida Army National Guard, Gold’s Gym, AR Workshop Ocala, Sensational Selfies, Ocala Metro CEP, and Dillon Media Group.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the event can register through Marion County Public Schools at this link or contact Lauren Debick, executive director of Communications and Community Engagement, at [email protected].
This Marion County Community Giveback effort is part of a larger event sponsored in the Tampa area by The Bullard Family Foundation.
To donate to a school supply drive list benefitting the Community Giveback effort, community members, businesses and others can purchase supplies from https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/23UPUPEH9THQT?ref_=wl_share. All items will be shipped to and distributed by the Community Foundation. Donation boxes will also be available throughout Ocala/Marion County and at sponsor locations.
For more information, contact the MCPS Public Relations Office or Ashley Gerds, director of Strategic Engagement at the Community Foundation for Ocala/Marion County, at 352.622.5020 x105 or [email protected].