This year’s annual Back to School Fest proved to be an unqualified success.

The participants filled four entire sections of Memorial Stadium. Nearly 5,000 bags of free school supplies were handed out to children in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade.

For the parents of many of those children, the school supplies were a welcome &045;&045; and much needed &045;&045; help in preparing for the upcoming school year.

The Back to School Fest is sponsored each year by Calhoun Foods. They are to be commended for putting on such a generous community effort each year. Not only does Calhoun Foods donate many of the supplies, employees from the local Calhoun store are the ones who coordinate the whole event and make sure that everyone who attends the annual festivities has an enjoyable time.

Phyllis Pierce, co-manager at the local store, admits, &uot;It’s a lot of hard work, but it was worth it.&uot;

Pierce and her fellow employees are quick to share the credit. They point out that they could not put on the Back to School Fest each year without generous donations from the community and the yearlong patronage of their loyal customers. &uot;We did this to thank our shoppers,&uot; said Beverlyn Seroy, produce manager.

The folks at Calhoun also applaud the many area teachers who volunteered their time and efforts to assist with this year’s mammoth undertaking.

We join them in that applause, and we applaud Calhoun Foods for being the kind of good neighbor that makes Selma a special place to live.