Back to School Blast! connects students, families, with essentials for the new year

DUBLIN — Hundreds flocked to the campus of Bladen Community College for its Back to School Blast! on Saturday morning.

Students and their families were able to get a number of different kinds of essentials for the new school year that has already started in some schools and begins Aug. 16 for Bladen County Schools.

Cathy Marlowe, a parent, said they received bookbags, notebooks, cups, water bottles, finger print kits, folders, pens, clothes and much more.

“I think it helps the parents out tremendously,” Marlowe said. “Parents needed the help because there are some parents that have not been able to work because of the pandemic. It has put a lot of pressure on the parents and this has been a relief for them.”

Marlowe was there with Addison Stephens, a 7-year-old in second grade. Stephens gave the event a thumbs up saying that her favorite part was the chickens.

Yes, chickens.

The Bladen County 4-H Club, led by Sean Nunnery and Becky Spearman from the county’s agricultural extension office, stood outside of the college’s agricultural building and greeted guests. They had a couple of live chickens with them for any student brave enough to pet the feathered bird. Caliyah Davis, 6, not only pet one of the chickens but also held it all by herself with her sister, DeAnna Davis, by her side.

Kelly Lara, 5, a kindergartener at Dublin Primary, hugged all of her stuff and was happy with the things she was about to take home.

Lara’s mother, Katlin Lara, thought the event went fairly well. She held a map of the buildings she was supposed to visit. The map served as a scavenger hunt and had people from each building sign off when the parents and students walked through so they knew which buildings they went through.

Thus, the college was able to get engagements with potential future students.

The cosmetology building had stylists and barbers from the community giving out free haircuts. The group said they had a big rush early. It died down enough later so that one of the stylists could get her hair cut by one of the barbers.

Sondra Guyton, college vice president for Workforce and Continuing Education, said a number of organizations helped make the Blast! a success. It was previously held at the Cape Fear Farmer’s Market in Elizabethtown. It has outgrown those quarters, and moving to the college serves an added bonus of getting the community onto the campus.

“We ask for donations from our area churches and the response was overwhelming,” Guyton said.

The Lumber River United Way, which serves Bladen, Robeson and Hoke counties, and the Elizabethtown Rotary Club No. 6146 were also key contributors. Rotary offered a Polo To Go campaign, a shirt drive that helps put new and gently used shirts into the hands of students as needed.

“We want children to understand when they finish school, they can transition right on in to Bladen Community College,” Guyton said. “We’re trying to plant seeds and get children on our campus to spark interest.”