Central Park will be a beehive of activity this weekend as Ardmore Literacy Leadership will host its annual back-to-school event.
Literacy Day 2024 will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and feature free school supplies, health information, food, drinks and much, much more.
“The library tables will give out books,” Ardmore Literacy Leadership Board Member Elizabeth Gaylor said. “We do have enough school supplies and backpacks for 400 kiddos. We don’t have an income limit. It is first come, first serve. The children have to be physically present in order to get any of the items.”
There will be several new vendors this year that will join familiar faces at the family friendly event. Mercy Hospital Ardmore will be present and join the Carter County Health Department in conducting a community health survey. Those taking part in the survey will receive a free Gatorade, which is not a bad perk with temperatures expected to reach 93. The health department will have its mobile clinic on site as well offering sports physicals.
Gaylor said Live In Studios will be on site with face painting and air brush tattoos. Ardmore Premier Eyecare will be unable to attend the event for the first time in five to six years, but Gaylor said Ardmore Literacy Leadership was excited that Dr. Denver Rushing will be at the event to perform eye exams.
There will also be voter registration available at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.
“We try to make it fun for the kids to get them ready for school but also try to get important community resources in the hands of the parent,” she said. “If the parent needs to get a GED, or if they need to get health services, or any number of things that is available there, they can be put in touch with those organizations.”
The event has proven popular over the years. Gaylor said when she arrived at the park last year, there were people already arriving at 7 a.m. She wanted to remind people there will be some areas blocked off due to pedestrian traffic for those parking next to the park prior to the event.
Ardmore Literacy Leadership is thankful for its sponsors that helped make the event possible, she added. There are 15 to 20 that are lending a helping hand.
“We had a lot of premium sponsors that helped make more happen this year,” she said. “Special thanks to the Chickasaw Nation, who sponsored our backpacks. That is a huge part of our budget. Mercy came through as an event sponsor. Valero is donating a pallet of water. First Bank & Trust is doing hot dogs and buns, cooking them for us.”
