The employees at Calhoun Foods are getting ready for two late nights of hard work. Beginning tonight, they will be filling hundreds of grocery sacks with all the essential items every child needs for the upcoming school year.

All this work is not for any kind of back-to-school sale. These particular sacks are being set aside for the store’s most deserving customers.

This Saturday will mark the fourth anniversary of the store’s Back to School Fest, which will be held at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bloch Park.

The store will give away hundreds of dollars worth of supplies and gift certificates to underprivileged children in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

Around 3,000 bags were given away last year, but the large crowd made store managers realize they needed to increase the amount for this year’s festival.

The pharmacy room at the grocery store is filled from floor to ceiling with all the essential items listed on any school’s supply list.

The store has also set aside supply bags for teachers filled with items like copy paper, pencil sharpeners, paper towels and &045;&045; that schoolroom necessity &045;&045; antibacterial soap.

Pierce emphasizes that the Back to School Fest will offer more than just free give-aways. It will also be a day filled with good family fun.

With this year’s theme of &uot;I Know I Can Be What I Want to Be,&uot; a wide variety of games and activities will held throughout the festival.

The supply bags will be given out at the end of the day before the closing ceremony.

Each child must have a ticket &045;&045; which will be handed during the festival &045;&045; and be accompanied by a parent to receive the free supplies.

Pierce said Calhoun Foods is still accepting donations from those who would like to help.