Events on the horizon

The Backpack Buddies organization of the Freewill Baptist Church is currently taking food and monetary donations for the program and upcoming events.

Backpack Buddies is a program that was developed for school-aged children who may not have enough to eat when out of school on the weekends.

Presently, the organization provides food for more than 300 children in 15 local schools, in which the food is placed in the child’s backpack on Fridays to take home.

The foods provided are ready to eat or can be easily prepared, including microwavable mac and cheese bowls, Ramen noodles, Pop-Tarts, fruit cups, applesauce cups, fruit snacks, granola bars, canned soup and pasta, pudding cups and individual boxed cereals. Items need to be in their original, individually wrapped packaging.

Upcoming Backpack Buddies events include:

Clothing giveaway

• From 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Aug. 12 at the Rock Hill Board Office.

Back to School Food Drive

• Hosted by Backpack Buddies and Rock Hill Redmen Live from 5-6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14 at Rock Hill High School before Redmen Live’s “Meet the Redmen.”

Backpack Buddies 5K Run/Walk for Hunger

• 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 at Lake Vesuvius. All donations for this event are welcome. However, a sponsor level donation of $50 and up will get the business name on the T-shirt, with larger donations garnering a larger font size. Checks can be made payable to “Backpack Buddies” and can be mailed to P.O. Box 522, Ironton, OH 45638. Backpack Buddies obtained a permit from the Wayne National Forest to host the 5K event, and Moe’s Southwest Grill, of Ashland, will provide participants with food following the race.

All Backpack Buddies proceeds go directly to the children of the community.