The city of Charleston is kicking off its annual school supply drive in preparation for the upcoming First Day Festival. Donations will be accepted through 5 pm on Thursday, August 10th, 2023, and pre-packed bags of school supplies will be distributed to students at the festival, which is set to take place on Sunday, August 13th, from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Gaillard Center and South Carolina Aquarium.
“The First Day Festival makes the remarkable impact it does because of the unwavering support of our Charleston community,” said Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said. “Each year, through contributions of supplies, participation from local organizations and more, the festival brings an unparalleled celebration of education that gets local students ready for a strong start to the new school year. We look forward to welcoming students and their families for our 20th annual event next month.”
How to donate:
School supplies can be dropped off at the following locations:
The most requested supplies include pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, composition notebooks, loose-leaf paper, spiral notebooks, glue sticks, two-pocket folders and pencil pouches.
About the First Day Festival
The First Day Festival, sponsored by the city of Charleston since 2003, is a celebration of education and the start of a new school year that welcomes students, families, educators and community providers to share information about available resources and support services.
In addition to the school supply distribution at the Gaillard Center, the festival will feature various exhibits showcasing student support services and community resources, entertainment and activities in the city Recreation Department’s Kids Zone, boat rides, free admission to the South Carolina Aquarium (limited capacity) and a food distribution in partnership with the Lowcountry Food Bank.
For more information on how to support and participate in the festival, visit: https://sites.google.com/view/firstdayfestival/home.
