Nearly 80 people kicked in the new school year at the Cornerstone Worship Center’s Back to School bash Saturday afternoon.
Harvest Church teamed up with Cornerstone for the event. Pastor Brian Oliver gave a lively sermon about doing well in school and the church’s Extreme Team drama group performed.
Cornerstone’s drama team also performed at the event. “Holy hip hopper” Originale rounded out the day’s performers.
Youth Director David White said the event went well. About 37 children attended the bash. They played games and ate lunch catered by Woogie’s before the performances began.

• Check out our photo gallery of the Back to School Bash here.

“It’s good to see different people from the community,” White said. “Just to be able to help someone out is the best part.”
He said the highlight of his day was having a child come up to him and thank him.
The parents were thankful, too.
“I am so grateful,” said Yolanda Thompson. “I wasn’t able to get all of the supplies I needed to get and God came up with this right on time.”
Shannon Jones picked up supplies for her little ones, too. She said the bash was a nice event.
“They had so many supplies for the kids,” she said.
Children were given everything from book bags to spiral notebooks.
David’s wife, Tracey, appealed to local businesses for the supplies about a month ago. She received help from Target, Walmart, Office Depot and Lee Chevrolet. Help came from as far as Goldsboro car dealer Doug Henry. An online company, 4imprints.com, donated 100 book bags.
“They (the benefactors) were more than willing to help. I had some people who wished they could do something more,” Tracey said.
David looked forward to holding another event in a few months.
“We had so many donations, we were able to double up the things that we gave away,” he said. “We’re … thinking of doing it again second semester.”