Jay the Lion strikes a pose with Guthrie Cheer members during the annual Back to School Bash on August 8. Photo courtesy of Guthrie Public Schools.
Mascot Mash-Up: Jay the Lion joins the Guthrie Bluejay during the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce’s Back to School Bash. Photo courtesy of Guthrie Public Schools.
A local family gathers information from a booth during Guthrie’s annual Back to School Bash at Community Church. Photo courtesy of Guthrie Chamber of Commerce.
Paul Ambriz of The Grand Ol’ Barbershop gives a student a haircut during the Back to School Bash, helping local students look their best for the start of the school year. Photo courtesy of Guthrie Chamber of Commerce.
More than 300 students and their families gathered at Community Church for Guthrie’s annual Back to School Bash, bringing together local businesses, schools and community organizations for an evening focused on helping local students prepare for the upcoming school year.
The third annual event was presented by the Guthrie Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Grand Ol’ Barbershop and the Guthrie Chamber Ambassadors. Families were able to receive many of the essentials needed to start the school year prepared and confident, including free haircuts, backpacks, school supplies and giveaways from local vendors.
The event also provided an opportunity for families to connect with organizations and businesses from throughout the community. Local businesses and community groups participated by providing supplies, services and information, demonstrating the community-wide effort behind the event.
Representatives from Guthrie Public Schools were on hand to answer questions from parents and help families with last-minute enrollment information. School representatives also provided information about job opportunities within the district.
The Guthrie High School Band, Guthrie cheerleaders and color guard also performed, allowing students and families to see some of the district’s student groups in action ahead of the new school year. The Guthrie Bluejay was on hand for endless hype and high-fives. The Langston University cheerleaders made an appear- ance, along with Jay the Lion, giving students plenty of excitement throughout the event.
The event also gave children an opportunity to interact with local first responders. The Guthrie Fire Department and Guthrie Police Department were both represented, giving families a chance to meet members of the departments and learn more about the people who serve the community.
One special guest also drew plenty of attention from attendees, Mercy, the Guthrie Police Department’s therapy dog.
For many families, preparing for a new school year can bring additional expenses, from school supplies and backpacks to haircuts and other necessities. By providing these resources at no cost, the Back to School Bash helped ease some of those expenses while giving families an opportunity to connect with the community.