A heartwarming community initiative took place Aug. 22 at Evergreen East as volunteers came together to ensure Fairport Central School District students are well prepared for the 2024-25 school year. 

The inaugural Community Outreach Back2School Event, spearheaded by Brian O'Reilly, Fairport High School alum and owner of Great American Diner, provided supplies to 95 FCSD students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Behind the scenes, a dedicated team worked tirelessly for weeks to make the event a success. Kelly Weishaar, FCSD assistant director of student services and family engagement, coordinated the logistics. O'Reilly and his team helped to raise funds, shop for and pack backpacks filled with notebooks, writing utensils and other essentials. Fairport residents donated bagged toys and book sets for younger students, and representatives from Learning Links of Fairport were present to invite students to local tutoring and youth programs.

The event was a resounding success, thanks to the contributions of many. Vertical Boost, founded by FCSD alum Trevor Shoosan and FHS senior Calvin Shooshan, provided shoes, sneakers and cleats to attendees. The community's generosity demonstrated the power of collective effort in making a positive impact on students in the District.

As the event concluded, organizers were already planning for next year, inspired by the excitement on the faces of the students. Stacey Thompson, senior community coordinator at Evergreen East, expressed a desire to repeat the event annually.

The back-to-school giveaway was a testament to the compassion of the Fairport community. By working together, volunteers were able to provide support to students so they can start the quickly approaching school year on the right foot!