The 23rd Force Support Squadron Freedom One Fitness Center and Military and Family Readiness Center hosted this year’s BACKpack-to-school Bash at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, July 19, 2024.

The event brought families and their children together for an activity-packed day and sent kids home with a backpack full of donated school supplies, ensuring they're ready for the new school year.

“We aimed to have this event be something that you can come to and ‘let your hair down.’ Where the kids could burn off energy, get some school supplies and know that everything is going to be alright,” said Tech. Sgt. Crystal Pyle, 23rd FSS MFRC readiness noncommissioned officer. “There’s also a financial burden that comes with getting kids back to school and things aren’t getting any cheaper, so we’re glad that we can hopefully alleviate some of these costs.”

With the help of donations from the local community, and the assistance from several volunteers, the backpacks were filled with notebooks, binders, pencils, glue, etc.

Alongside the distribution of school supplies for the children, a MFRC booth was available for parents to seek information and access resources, offering them the assistance they need from the Moody AFB community.

“The volunteers did their thing and talked with the parents to ensure that they have the resources to feel supported. Sometimes [parents] can feel isolated or get caught up in their day to day, so this event allows them to build that connectedness with the installation and also with each other,” Pyle added.

This emphasis on fostering a supportive and connected community extended beyond the parents. The children were able to enjoy a water slide, bouncy houses, inflatable obstacle courses, a dunk tank, refreshments, food and more.

“I know for a kid, they see the back-to-school commercials and worry about their summer coming to an end, so we had this event that was fun and supportive for the kids and their families to have an entertaining field day,” said Master Sgt. Bryon Weston, 23rd FSS MFRC noncommissioned officer in charge.

The BACKpack-to-school Bash not only provided essential school supplies but also fostered a strong sense of community for military families at Moody AFB. Events like these demonstrate the 23rd Force Support Squadron's and the Military and Family Readiness Center's commitment to supporting service members and their families.

“I think we had a really great turn out – All the families and children looked like they we’re having fun an interacting and everyone got a backpack,” Pyle said. “We’re beyond grateful to all our volunteers and donors because without them this event wouldn’t have been possible. Everything that went into today was worth it to see our Moody community having fun and building connections.”