A petting zoo, pony rides, hot dogs and, oh yeah, school supplies got a lot of kids ready for the first day of school at SixFourteen Church’s Back to School Bash Aug. 17 in Masury.
“It’s always wonderful,” Megan Krepps said of SixFourteen outreach events. “They always go above and beyond.”
Krepps said her kids, 6-year-old Annabella and 2-year-old R.J., loved the petting zoo, which featured bunnies, guinea pigs, ducks and a tiny white pig. Outside the pen, goats made sure the grass was way short.
“They got caught up in the petting zoo,” Krepps said of the kids.
Kalya Thieme brought her five kids, ages 12, 8, 8, 5 and 4, and appreciated the school-supply giveaway.
“It’s really nice that the community gives back in times like these,” Thieme said. “It helps a lot.”
Thieme added that the event gave her a chance to check out the church at 1382 Broadway Ave.
“I was curious about the church itself,” she said.
Church Outreach Director Nikki Jervis said the supplies and food were donated by church members.
“Everybody’s all in,” she said. “I think everybody has a heart for the community.”
Expecting about 100 kids, Jervis said she was getting low on some supplies, and the chips and cookies also went fast.
“It’s a good problem to have,” she said, taking notes for next year.
Jervis said she added the petting zoo and pony rides, because she wanted the kids to have an “experience.”
“How many of these kids have never seen a horse before?” she said. “We want them to get an experience they might not get otherwise.”
The first day of class for Brookfield students is Aug. 26.
