Y to Host Back-to-School Rallies
8.4.2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The YMCA of Central Kentucky, in collaboration with 19 Lexington neighborhoods, is hosting the seventh annual Lexington Neighborhood Back to School Rallies on Saturday, August 4. These free rallies will provide 8,000 elementary, middle and high school children with backpacks and school supplies. Each neighborhood will distribute supplies for all grade levels.
A press conference will be held at Douglass Park at 10 a.m. with Mayor Jim Gray, Fayette County Superintendent Tom Shelton, 1st District Councilman Chris Ford and YMCA Interim CEO Tom Blackman among those scheduled to attend.
The Back to School Rallies program is an initiative of the Y, which serves as the central coordinator of this partnership. Each neighborhood solicits its own grassroots support and plan its own food and events.
Registration for the supplies will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at each site. Supplies will be distributed at 12 p.m. Children must be with a parent or guardian in order to receive supplies. All 8,000 backpacks are provided by Kentucky Utilities.
The goal of this initiative is to prepare children for school and to unify our neighborhoods for even greater self-advocacy and community planning. Neighborhoods build bridges with schools, churches and local businesses by establishing relationships that they can utilize in the future for a variety of purposes.
The list of participating neighborhoods includes: Bracktown, Cardinal Valley, Carver, Castlewood, St. Peter Claver Church, Lexington Traditional Magnet School, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Gainesway, Gardenside Christian Church, Green Acres, Douglass Park, Imani, Total Grace, Mary Todd, Pralltown, Radcliffe Marlboro, Speigle Heights, Winburn and Woodhill.
The YMCA of Central Kentucky has been serving Lexington and the surrounding area since 1853. The YMCA is for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility and provides programs that support the healthy development of people of all ages. Through the generous contributions of our donors, the YMCA of Central Kentucky provides financial assistance that enables all members of the community to enjoy YMCA programs, regardless of income. The YMCA of Central Kentucky operates three full facilities in Lexington, as well as program offices in Jessamine County and Scott County.
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies, are regulated utilities that serve a total of 1.2 million customers and have consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. LG&E serves 321,000 natural gas and 397,000 electric customers in Louisville and 16 surrounding counties. Kentucky Utilities serves 546,000 customers in 77 Kentucky counties and five counties in Virginia. More information is available at www.lge-ku.com and www.pplweb.com.