As part of the 2007 Community Development Block Grant program, the church applied for funding to distribute book bags to families in Troy filled with school supplies for the academic year. It made sense for the City to pursue an endeavor of this sort, and yesterday the results proved it worthwhile.
By 1 p.m., Troy families were lined up on a hot day at City Hall to take advantage of the grant. To say it was hot would be quite the understatement. Thankfully there was plenty to eat and drink for everyone on hand.
Here is a picture of some of the volunteers for the event. I do like their choice in colors.
As part of the festivities there was music, a bouncy bounce, and great entertainment from former Harlem Globetrotter Seth Franco. Watching this young man interact with children, and do all he could to make sure they were having a great day, was very inspiring. If the next two pictures don't make you smile, nothing will.
He even got me involved in one of his routines. I thought about throwing out a trick, but decided I better just catch the ball.
He is a great guy, and I made sure to thank him for taking time to spend the day with the kids. For more information about him, check out http://www.sethfranco.com/
The event itself was beyond successful. More than 750 bags were given away to families in the City. The book bags are sharp and the supplies plentiful. It is a great way to start the school year, and I am looking forward to making sure this program continues well into the future. This is the exact type of initiatives that the CDBG program should fun.
Harry
