The annual Tioga Back to School Bash was back in action Saturday.
The bash gave away free back-to-school supplies and gave families the opportunity to reconnect with faculty and staff a week and a half before school starts on Monday.
“It's great to see the vendors out here and the local shops that are open up to just kind of celebrate the end of summer and get back in the groove of school,” said Keith Kirkland, Tioga High School principal.
Destini Clark, owner of Game Day Apparel and Screen Printing, co-organized the event with Mattie Martin, owner of Matilda Rose Boutique.
“We just both have stores here, and there's not a lot of events that come downtown, so we were trying to bring things down here,” Clark said.
The pair have hosted the annual event for about six years; this is the second year to offer free school supplies, and in recent years they opened it up to vendors. “We love when people come out and support,” Clark said. “We love to see all the happy faces and just be involved.”
She also thanked those who donated and the event sponsors— Texas-New Mexico Power, Chandler Cabinets and Bunger Electric Inc.—for providing school supplies.
“We're just really thankful to the people that donated,” she said.
The event had live music from local group KW Band as well as a waterslide and a dunk tank with the Tioga ISD PTO.
The money raised from the dunk tank is used throughout the year to support the teachers.
“We are very lucky to have a lot of people that do care for the community, and they help us and fundraise,” PTO Vice President Bethany Johnson said.
The PTO’s biggest fundraiser will be the Tioga Fall Festival in October.
Tioga’s high school principal was one of several staff and facility members who voluntarily got dunked.
Angelica Munoz and her husband watched their son take aim at Kirkland on the dunk tank.
The light-hearted nature of the moment is one reason her family came out to the event.
“[It’s] the community, and then also just everybody sticking together through the hard times that we've had,” Munoz said. “… We're going to all come out through it, all together and still having the Bulldog pride.”
The students didn’t hold back as Kirkland encouraged them to take their best aim at the target that, when hit, sent him plummeting into the water.
In the 30 minutes he sat on the collapsible seat, he estimated that he was dunked about 25-30 times.
“Most of those at the hands of some future high schoolers and my son,” Kirkland said.
But he shared it was all in good spirit.
“Fantastic job by our PTO organizing the dunk tank,” Kirkland said. “It's always great to come out and support them, even if it means getting dunked a few times.”
Pastor Tim Moore of Friendship Baptist Church in Tioga was joined by his wife and their children to give away popcorn and school supplies, in their second year participating in the bash.
“[I’m] just trying to love people where they're at and trying to be a blessing to them out here today,” Moore said.
The Bridge Church in Tioga was also there and, with help from the church's team members, passed out treats like cotton candy.
“We just want to love people, tell them about Jesus and let them know they belong here,” Pastor Trent Hodgkinson said.
The church has been open for about a year and a half and holds services every Sunday inside Tioga Elementary School.
“It's awesome,” Hodgkinson said. “It's just building relationships with teachers, with students, with kids in the area.”
