It was an  exuberant spirit filled the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium parking lot  on Saturday  as hundreds of  youngsters received free books, pencils, uniforms, and shoes from  the  Stephen C. Munroe International  back to school extravaganza. 

This was the brainchild of  Prophet Stephen Munroe who said he got the idea after watching several kids kick their school year off with the same shoes and uniforms as the previous year.

He said, “you see the faces on the kids and they’re much happier. The whole objective for this particular event, apart from the Back to School Extravaganza, is also to give them a fun day because some kids may have not had the opportunity to go away for a vacation.” 

He added, “we wanted to give them a chance to have a vacation right here the weekend before school closes.” 

Kids also enjoyed a fun filled day of rides, bouncing castles, food, and cotton candy. 

The Journal News Team also met with a few parents and volunteers for their opinion on the festivities. 

Adrianna Munnings, the aunt of one of the kids at the fair, said, “this is a great blessing because you have a lot of parents who really do not have it. So, I’m happy that many persons have put pride a side to receive their blessing.”

BTC’s Senior Marketing Manager Carol Barnett, one of the event’s corporate sponsors  said, “this is the second year that BTC  is supporting this event. We recognize the value that it brings to students going back to school. Partnering with the  Stephen C. Munroe Organization was a no brainer for BTC because, of course, we’re into youth development.”

She added, “we want to make sure that the students are going back to school were  equipped in a way that’s conducive to learning. So, this was an easy yes for us to be able to provide school supplies and additional support to the organization.”

 This year marks the Back to School Extravaganza’s third year in existence.