FARMINGTON -- For the second year, Farmington will have a drive-through service for its Back 2 School Bonanza, while Lincoln's Back 2 School Bonanza will return to a community event held in the elementary school cafeteria.
Each year, the bonanzas help hundreds of children prepare for a new school year. Last year, the communities served more than 260 families and more than 600 children during their annual Back 2 School Bonanzas.
Both the Farmington Back 2 School Bonanza and the Lincoln Back 2 School Bonanza will be held Aug. 5. Parents, grandparents or guardians will be required to preregister their children so that backpacks and new tennis shoes can be prepared ahead of time.
12th Annual Lincoln Bonanza
Lincoln's Back 2 School Bonanza is sponsored by Central United Methodist Church in partnership with Lincoln Bright Futures.
This year's event, which is the 12th annual one, will be from 4-7 p.m. at Lincoln Elementary School, 613 County Avenue. The bonanza will provide backpacks, shoes, socks and other items for school-age children who preregister.
Judy Cohea with the Methodist Church said parents will come into the school cafeteria from the back parking lot, sign in and then go pick up their child's backpack.
Afterward, she said parents can visit different vendors in the building for more information about different organizations, including Headstart, the Hippy program, children identification cards and West Washington County Clinic. In addition, vouchers will be available for free haircuts.
Washington County Sheriff's Office is providing free hot dogs for families. Simmons Bank is providing water, and Harps will have apples for all children.
Members of the Methodist Church will be on hand to offer prayer for families.
This is Cohea's fifth year to volunteer with the Lincoln bonanza.
"This is one of the ways that we minister to our community," Cohea said. "We hope it meets a need and that God's love is just evident in this process."
To preregister, go to the Lincoln Bright Futures Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/brightfutureslincoln/ . Those without internet access, may call 479-236-3141 to register for the event.
17th Annual Farmington Bonanza
This is the 17th year for Farmington United Methodist Church to host a Back 2 School Bonanza to help parents in the area. It is open to kindergarten through 12th grade students and is not limited to a geographical region.
Mary Jane Silva has coordinated the bonanza each year and continues that tradition this year. The drive-through bonanza will be held 3-7 p.m. at the church on Southwinds Drive.
Last year, both Farmington and Lincoln pivoted to drive-through events because of covid-19. In the past, the bonanzas have been in person with many volunteers helping throughout the evening.
Silva said she decided to have a drive-through event again this year for safety reasons and also because it worked well last year. Hopefully, she said, the church will be able to go back to an in-person bonanza in 2022.
She said she enjoys helping kids and helping families.
"If we can provide some of these needs for the families, it frees up resources for them to use elsewhere," she said.
The Farmington church will provide shoes, underwear and backpacks to children. In addition, parents can sign up for an appointment for a haircut at the church by a stylist from the Paul Mitchell Cosmetology School in Fayetteville. Each family will also receive a free pizza.
A mobile health unit will be onsite during the bonanza for kindergarten and junior high physicals and immunizations.
To register, parents should go to the church website, www.farmingtonumc.net . Registration opened Thursday. For more information or questions, call the church office, (479) 267-3180.
Lynn Kutter can be reached by email at lkutter@nwadg.com.