Thousands of students and parents were at the North Florida Fairgrounds on Saturday. It was the Eighth Annual Back to School Community Experience.
The lines extended from the South Monroe Street Fairgrounds gate all the way to the exhibit halls.
A small army of volunteers was handing out all kinds of school supplies, personal hygiene items along with haircuts and modest makeovers. Jacob Chapel Baptist Church Pastor Germaine Simmons has been the event's leading light since the beginning.
“This demographic, this community is underprivileged to a degree,” he said as the event got underway. “And so if they didn’t have this resource, they may not have what they need for school, but we as a church partner with the community to give back.”
Now a long list of public and private sector sponsors support the Back to School Experience, including the City of Tallahassee and Walmart.