PEORIA, Ill. – School is just around the corner across central Illinois, and two Peoria-area state legislators helped families in need get a head start.
On Tuesday, State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth and State Senator Dave Koehler co-hosted the One Peoria back-to-school event at Glen Oak Park.
Families who came were able to get free school supplies for their children, such as a backpack, crayons, pencils, notebooks, and more. They were also able to get free physicals for sports, and learned about after-school programs.
Gordon-Booth says it can help families that may be struggling to get their kids ready for the school year.
“On average, backpacks and supplies are costing families anywhere between $150-200 in aggregate,” Gordon-Booth said. “What we wanted to do was just make sure that families have the ability to send their children to school on the right footing, without having to necessarily go into their own pockets and spend their own cash.”
The event also featured a day of fun for the kids in attendance, with bounce houses, popcorn, hot dogs, and more.
Koehler says the event as a whole is about showing children that they’re important and supported.
“We’re trying to look out for your futures, you represent the next generation of leadership in the community, and we want to take care of you,” Koehler said.
Gordon-Booth says there were 500 clear backpacks and 200 non-clear backpacks were given away.
The first day of school for Peoria Public Schools is August 5th.
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