Hundreds of people filed in to the Selma High School cafeteria Thursday night to see what they could do to help out the students of Selma City Schools during the Community Challenge: Our Children. Our Schools. Our Community.

Parents and citizens showed up and listened to Selma City Schools superintendent Dr. Angela Mangum express her concerns and show her gratitude for the accomplishments that have been witnessed over the last several months.

“I am so excited about the turnout. There were people everywhere, from wall to wall. That shows that when people know and when they’re challenged, … they will turn out,” Mangum said.

“We have great people here in Selma and they seriously are concerned about students and their well-being and they want to see the educational system here in Selma thrive. They want to see these students succeed. They want to make sure that they get a great education. I couldn’t be more excited. I’m actually thrilled about the turnout.”

Tomeka Bethel, a mother of two students in Selma City Schools, said she heard about the program and said she had to attend.

“It’s very exciting [to see all the people] because if the parents put forth the effort and the children see that they are involved, that makes them want to get involved,” Bethel said.

“It takes parents too. The school can’t do everything.”

Although she wasn’t sure what the program was all about, Bethel said she was surprised to listen to multiple speakers about what they are doing to better the lives of the students in the community through working with the school system.

“I was really impressed to see the different people that are invested in our children. It makes you feel like you may be getting somewhere, somebody is hearing you now.”

Danielle Wooten, a school board member and the organizer of the event, said she was excited to see so many people show up to support the children in the school system and to offer their encouragement, and although she knows there still needs to be work done, she was encouraged.

“I am overwhelmed, overjoyed at the number of people that came out. That just reaffirms that the community does care about our children,” Wooten said.

“The biggest take away for me is that the community cares and the community showed up. All we had to do was ask them and they came.”

Although she wasn’t sure what the program was all about, she said she was surprised to listen to multiple speakers about what they are doing to better the lives of the students in the community through working with the school system.

“I was really impressed to see the different people that are invested in our children. It makes you feel like you may be getting somewhere, somebody is hearing you now.”