| |
Mayor’s Back to
School Fair set for Aug. 11 at Fair Park
City of Dallas joined by ExxonMobil as principal sponsors
DALLAS (June 15, 2005) – Mayor Laura Miller
announced today that the annual Mayor’s Back to School Fair is set for
Thursday, August 11, 2005 at Dallas Fair Park’s Automobile Building and
Centennial Hall from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Mayor’s Back to School Fair is
a collaborative effort between local school districts, public health
departments, state agencies, non-profit organizations, corporations and
volunteers.
The Mayor’s Back to School Fair began in 1997 as a result of a federally
funded drug prevention program. Over the course of the last several
years, and as a result of generous funding from local businesses and
foundations, the Back to School Fair evolved into a comprehensive event
that not only focuses on drug prevention, but also on helping students
with many of their school-related needs.
The purpose of the Back to School Fair has thus shifted to reducing the
number of students who return to school without the proper school
supplies, social services, and required health exams. Additionally, the
fair provides an opportunity to increase awareness and availability of
education, health and social services for parents and guardians of
participating school children.
In order to take advantage of the services and supplies provided by the
Back to School Fair, children must be in grades K through 12, enrolled
in Dallas area Independent School Districts schools, be from families
who live in Dallas, and qualify from an income perspective.
According to the Dallas Independent School District Campus Data Support
Department, some 76 percent of Dallas public school children are living
below the federal poverty level. Many of these families are not able to
provide their children with mandatory immunizations or required school
supplies. In an effort to address this crisis, the City of Dallas has
continued to coordinate the annual Back to School Fair.
###
|
| Search 
