By Samantha Bolden
The Selma Times-Journal

The Selma Police Department will hold its seventh annual School Assistance Drive in August, but first the department needs help gathering supplies. 

The drive is a partnership with the Council of Substance Abuse. The department is supplying school supplies to students and will hold its annual Cops and Kids Day, a day where officers interact and play games with the children.

“In our first year, the school systems were running out of supplies, and we started giving supplies to the schools,” said Lt. Natasha Fowlkes, organizer of the event. “After the first year, we’ve been giving supplies to students on a first come, first serve basis.”

All donations must be brought to the department on or before Friday, July 29. Items collected will be distributed at the Back to School Festival and COPS and Kids Day on Saturday, Aug. 6 at Bloch Park, located on 108 Dallas Avenue, from 10 a.m. -1 p.m.

Supplies will be distributed toward children in grades K-12 on a first come, first serve basis.

There will be free food, games, activities, skits and inflatables at the event.

Fowlkes said the main goal is to help the community by encouraging young children to remain in school and stay out of trouble.

“We want the kids to know that they can come to us ,and we can help them,” Fowlkes said.

Mesh backpacks filled with supplies will be distributed at the drive. Supplies include wide-ruled loose-leaf paper, pencils, pens, crayons, tablets, glue sticks and more.

Fowlkes said the department distributed around 1500 backpacks last year.

Students must be present in order to receive a backpack. Children will receive arm bands marked with a permanent black marker once they enter the event to ensure they receive their bag.

“If I can help one child, then my mission and goal has been reached, and I know that we will reach it,” Fowlkes said. For additional information or for school supply pick-ups, contact Fowlkes at (334) 874-5261 or (334) 375-1554.