Back to school supply giveaway Aug. 18, 19 at MLK Jr. Center in Wilmington

Hundreds of teachers and thousands of students expected to attend 10th annual event

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — For the tenth year, students will be able to pick up free back-to-school supplies at the MLK, Jr. Center in Wilmington, NC before the start of the school year.

But there’s something different about this year’s give-away.

Teachers will get a chance to receive much-needed classroom supplies, the day before thousands of students descend on the center to pick up their goodies.

Organizer Jermaine Armour, pastor of Wilmington’s St. Luke Church, stopped by Good Morning Carolina to talk with co-anchor Donna Gregory about how the community-wide event has grown over the years.

“Over 20,000 children…have been given supplies for school; our volunteer list continues to grow; our partnerships continue to grow,” Armour said. “It’s been amazing!”

“So the energy keeps on getting greater, we’re excited we cannot wait, especially to care for the teachers who care for our children,” he added.

“On Friday this year, we’re doing something strictly for teachers,” Armour explained.

From 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. teachers from New Hanover (NC) and surrounding counties can stop by the Center at 401 S. 8th Street in Wilmington.

“If you’re from Brunswick and you teach in Onslow, if you teach in Leland, it doesn’t matter.  If you can get to where we are, we’re going to make sure you walk out of there with a bag for the teachers, and you’re going to walk out of there with some supplies for your kids.”

The fun continues Saturday, when close to 2,000 students can get free supplies at the Center from noon – 3 p.m.

Children and their families will be greeted with free food and a carnival atmosphere.

Armour says it takes an army to organize, coordinate and pull off a plan like this, but he’s confident he has the right people in place.

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” he laughed.

“We have volunteers, we have churches, we have non-profits, we have some wonderful people who just want to serve,” he listed.

“We have New Hanover County Schools, the Police Department, the Sheriff’s Department [sic], ” Armour continued.

The community is invited, and you don’t have to have a child or even be associated with a school to enjoy the fun and fellowship.

“People are just calling and saying, ‘hey, where can I fit in?’, so it’s going to be great,” Armour predicted.