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The Town of White Hall, in cooperation with the White Hall Fire Department and sponsors, will present its annual Back 2 School Bash on July 29. The free event, which features food, fund, giveaways, and more, has been expanded this year, with a focus on connecting children with fun and entertainment, and families with much-needed wastewater disposal information.

White Hall Mayor Delmartre Bethel said organizers are taking a different approach to this year’s event, focusing more on the community’s children than ever before.

“We want to focus mostly on our children, but we are opening the event up to everyone,” Bethel said. “We’ll have entertainment for the kids. We’ll give away school supplies and we may do raffles, depending on how many sponsors we get.”

White Hall Fire Chief Sharon said the partners have hosted the event for roughly three years and began the effort to help children whose families needed assistance preparing for the upcoming school year.

“We started this because some kids in the area were less fortunate and needed help,” Thomas said. “Other communities have events, but some people may not have transportation to get there. So, we just decided to have one for White Hall and the surrounding communities as well.”

According to Thomas, supplies are handed out to kids of all ages, from elementary to high school ages. 

“We try to have different items so that children can have what they need,” Thomas explained. “We normally do hair bows, book bags, school supplies, shirts, and socks. Some children need uniforms and some need uniform accessories, so we try to cover what they actually need.”

The event is supported by community sponsors, who the town relies upon for financial donations and supplies to give away. Thomas said several businesses help out each year and organizers welcome additional support to ensure children have what they need to start school in August.

In past years, Bethel said the event was mostly centered around supply giveaways. This year, he hopes to include entertainment and vendors to educate the community about issues like wastewater disposal.

“The goal this year was to obtain sponsors from local businesses,” Bethel said. “How much we can raise will determine what we can bring in, like artists and entertainers. It’s the perfect time for community engagement so we also want to help educate people on how a proper septic system will work.”

Bethel said representatives with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), and the Alabama Rural Water Association will be available to talk with residents about sewage disposal solutions.

“We hope we get a good response from the community,” Bethel said. “We just want to meet people where they are and educate them better. There are still a lot of questions which haven’t been answered, in the community and among the officials. So it’s a good time for people to come out and learn together.”

The event begins at 11 a.m. at Paradise Park located at 526 William Cosby Road in White Hall. For more information, call the White Hall Municipal Complex at (334) 875-5703.