‘A really good community that has really stepped up’

Parkside Outreach, community meet students’ needs at annual event

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Baileyton Town Councilmen Dewayne Sumner, Roy Shedd and Greg Griffin, Mayor Windell Calloway and Councilman Wendell Peterson pose for a photo at Parkside School’s event Saturday, July 30, 2022. (Sara Gladney for The Cullman Tribune)

BAILEYTON, Ala. – Parkside School held its second annual Back to School Bash Saturday on campus.

Last year, before outgrowing the location, the bash was held at Parkside Outreach, a charitable organization that sponsors the event.

School Counselor Kim Crumbley said of the organization, “They do a lot of stuff for our school all year long. They also do our food program and career fairs.”

This year’s event was also sponsored by donations from the whole community, the Town of Baileyton and the school advisory team, made up of community members. Students were able to get prepared for the upcoming school year with free haircuts, $50 shoe vouchers for The Shoe Department, hygiene bags and backpacks.

The day was also filled with free, fun activities and entertainment like train rides, face painting, bouncy houses and live music performed by Jesse Priest. Desperation Church provided meals for the event, feeding more than 300 people.  

Because of the community effort, Crumbley said, “Every student had every item that they needed for school supplied.”

The students’ supplies have been bagged up to be given to teachers at the upcoming open house.

Parkside Principal Caleb Elrod added, “The entire list of school supplies that the teachers needed, we gave to the community group, and they made it happen.”

“We’ve got a really good community that has really stepped up,” Parkside Outreach Organizer Jennifer Harlow said. “There’s such a need in Parkside. We thought this would be a good way to give back to the community.”

Crumbley explained, “There’s no cost. Backpacks, socks, anything that she could think of that these folks might need in our community. It’s just an amazing thing.”

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