‘Truly a blessing’: Back – to – School Extravaganza sponsors shopping spree for school supplies

TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) -The Back-to-School Extravaganza sponsors hundreds of families as they pick out supplies for their students to use in the new school year.

Cameron resident and mother Cindy Flores participated last year for the first time, and she says she returned this year to make sure her son is taken care of.

“It was awesome it was a lot of help for me because I’m a single parent, so it helped a lot,” Flores recalled.

Founder John Wayne Sutherland grew up in Buckholts in Central Texas and started the effort to help his local community.

“This is my roots you know I grew up out on a ranch in the country, and I know it’s the rural families and folks like that that truly need the help” Sutherland said.

Sutherland says the shopping spree can get kids excited about the new year, all while teaching them important life skills.

“They get to practice budgeting skills, they pick out their own supplies their own clothes their own backpacks, so they have some ownership” Sutherland explained.

Sutherland says that all he wants from parents and students after they shop is to help others in need.

“We talk to them about the importance of paying it forward and so one of the things I do is challenge all the families and the kids and everyone who is a part of this is to take this one act of kindness and to pay it forward to somebody else,” Sutherland said.

For more information on the Back-to-School Extravaganza, click here.

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