Planning and preparations are in full swing for Thursday night's Back to School Bash, which has been made possible by the collaborative efforts of many in the community. Farmers Bank & Trust (FBT), Hope Public Schools (HPS), and the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce are hosting this fun-filled, family event celebrating the start of a new school year, and it is entirely free. Bounce houses, games, and food will be all over the downtown area for visiting families, and $3,000 in gift cards will be given away in drawings, thanks to FBT. Numerous other businesses and organizations are participating in the bash, as well. Klipsch Heritage Museum Association (KHMA) is providing sound and setting up a stage for HPS's Kayla White to emcee. The Junior Auxiliary of Hope will be joining in the festivities to provide the kiddos with their favorite temporary tattoos, as well as SWARK.Today, who will be providing popcorn. The bash will open with the soulful sounds of Arnetta Bradford singing the national anthem, and the Hope Police Department (HPD) will block off the streets and be present throughout the event to ensure safety and have fun with the kids.

This event is growing by the day as more businesses and organizations decide to join in and have a booth, provide a sale, or just attend festivities, and FBT Market President Jacob Jones said, "the more the merrier." FBT began the Back to School Bash a few years ago, and Jones said that it has now evolved into a community-wide celebration that he hopes many will attend. "This is just a good old-fashioned community event that the entire family can enjoy," Jones said. "We want everyone to have a good time and show support for our kids and our schools. FBT is proud to be a community bank and fund an event that brings people together in a positive way."

HPS Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Crossley said HPS is excited to start the 2022-2023 school year and believes the Back to School Bash is a great step in building positive relationships with students and parents, as well as local businesses. "Multiple businesses and organizations collaborated to make this happen," Crossley said. "We could not be happier to celebrate the upcoming school year with the Hope community. We hope everyone will come out to enjoy food, fun, and drawings for $3000 in gift cards. We love our community and we want that to shine through in our Back to School Bash."

Trevor Moses from the Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce said he and Chamber representatives are thrilled about the collaboration taking place between different types of businesses and organizations. "I think this is a great way for them to network with each other, as well as local citizens," Moses said. "This type of collaboration also provides kids and families with a sense of community, in addition to modeling for this next generation what can be accomplished if we all work together."

The Back to School Bash is from 5pm to 8pm Thursday night in downtown Hope. Free hot dogs, chips, water, popcorns, and snow cones will be at the Hub, the bounce houses and the stage will be on Main Street, and the tickets for the prize drawings can be found at the Chamber of Commerce. Some businesses will be offering sales, like Oak-Lan giving free chicken nuggets with every entree order, and some organizations will have booths, like Child Care Aware and JumpStart learning giving out coloring books. Most important, though, is that all in attendance will be ready to have a good time and celebrate a new school year with the rest of their community.