PETERSBURG, Va. — Petersburg Public Schools kicked off the back-to-school season with their third annual community event at Petersburg High School over the weekend.
The Peoples Advantage Federal Credit Union-sponsored event featured a DJ, face painting, free school supplies and a job fair to help families prepare for the upcoming school year.
Petersburg School Board Chair Kenneth Pritchett said the event is about preparing students for the new academic year.
"This event is about coming together as a community and giving back to our students to make sure they are prepared for the first day of school, which starts in two weeks," he said.
Ron Howell, who owns Premier Party and Tent Rentals, said this was the second year his business took part.
"We're just giving back to the community and doing our thing here, giving away school supplies, helping the kids," Howell said. "As you know, prices are high. Everything is skyrocketing. People need help, so we're just trying to jump in and do our part."
Pritchett said this year's turnout was incredible.
"It gets bigger every year," he said. "We're even running out of parking space this year. So we're looking at next year to move our parking spaces over to our middle school."
Pritchett said feedback about the event was "awesome."
"We have so many entertainment acts that are coming. The community is being a part of that. They're excited about it. They love line dancing, as you can see," Pritchett said.
While the first day of school can be stressful for families, Pritchett said events like these help locals and get children excited about returning to the classroom.
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