Altrusa Sponsors Annual Back-To-School Fair

Altrusa International of Washington County, Inc., in partnership with Harps Food Stores, will offer new backpacks, school supplies and books at its annual free backto-school resource fair in Prairie Grove.

The fair will be a drive-through event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, July 31, at Prairie Grove Elementary School. The event will be in the parking lot behind the school.

A free lunch and bags of snacks and personal hygiene items will also be offered, as well as a box of food from Northwest Arkansas Food Bank for each family. Altrusa will give each child in attendance an age-appropriate book.

This is the eighth annual Parent Up event, said Corinne Smith, president of Altrusa International of Washington County, Inc. In the first seven years, the group has given away more than 1,000

backpacks loaded with school supplies and more than 500 snack packs and 600 personal care packs to children from Prairie Grove, Lincoln, Farmington, Greenland and West Fork.

“It is a pleasure to bring this event to children and their parents every year to help prepare for a new school year with supplies,” Smith said.

Joining Harps in sponsoring the event are Altrusa International Foundation, Centennial Bank, Ozarks Electric/ Ozarks GO, Collier Drug Stores, United Bank, Arvest Bank, Beavers and Broomfield Dentists, Delta Dental, Storms Orthodontics, Jack Links and dental hygienist Kendra Colby.

Altrusa International of Washington County, Inc. is a local community service organization dedicated to organizing and assisting events to address needs in local communities.

For more information, contact Corinne Smith at 479-263-0341, Jenn Vinson at 479- 856- 9500 or Rose Ann Pearce at 479-595-3031.