COLUMBIA, S.C. — After a summer away, the start of the upcoming school year is finally here.
On Sunday, volunteers helped pack book bags with supplies for children returning this week.
It was just one part of the Vetropolitan Restaurant's 'Back to School Bash.'
"We have jump castles, free food, bookbags, supplies … and free hair cuts," Event Planner Robert Williams said. "You know, some people really need this help. So, we don’t mind helping out. You know, a lot of people support us, so we want to support the community as well.”
Deborah O'Neal was there with her son who's going to kindergarten.
"We’re definitely excited," O'Neal said. "It’s nerve-wracking because this is my firstborn.”
She wants him to have consistency in his first year and worries the pandemic could lead to changes.
"I know that some schools in South Carolina are already virtual because of some numbers or the rise in COVID cases, so right now I just hope he stays the whole time," O'Neal said. "We just have faith that the school year will go well, and then they’ll stay in the classroom and everybody will be healthy and safe.”
It's a concern Nikki Cannon, who also was attending, shared.
"I been ready. The homeschooling, I did not like it. I’m glad they’re getting ready to go back," Cannon said.
Her daughter India Broome will be an eleventh grader this year. She'll be attending in person after attending virtually last year.
"I really struggled and my grades weren’t what I wanted them to be," Broome said. "I’m looking forward to actually having that experience because I didn’t get to have a necessarily normal 10th-grade experience, and I know this time I’m at least going to remember some stuff, like when the teachers teach me I’m at least going to remember some of it.”
They're each hoping for a sense of normalcy after the previous year was full of change.