Back to School Rodeo Rounds Up Dozens of Community Partners All Under One

07/25/2012 | Dave Nash, Public Affairs Coordinator

Yuma, Arizona - The Yuma Civic Center, 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive, will host the Inaugural Back To School Rodeo, Saturday, July 28, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Designed for grades K-8, the Back to School Rodeo is a free event that will bring more than 50 community organizations under one roof to provide a one-stop destination for your children's educational needs.

Representatives from Crane School District and Yuma Elementary School District One will be available to answer your questions and provide important information regarding the upcoming school year.

The public is advised to arrive at the Yuma Civic Center early since the first 500 children through the door will receive a free drawstring backpack.

The event will include free haircuts, free vision screenings, free immunizations, free health screenings and a variety of educational and fun activities. Martha Guzman, Public Affairs Coordinator for the City of Yuma said, "The community support for this event has been overwhelming. It makes me so proud to live in a community where everyone comes together to provide our children with the necessary resources to ensure a successful school year."

The Back to School Rodeo has a full schedule of presentations, performances and workshops taking place throughout the day.

The event will kick off on the Main Stage at 10 a.m. with a brief welcome by City of Yuma and School District Dignitaries followed by dance performances and various safety presentations scheduled every twenty minutes until 3 p.m.

Yuma Police Department will be providing workshops in the West Wing starting at 10:30 a.m. covering topics such as stranger safety tips, internet safety, anti-bullying information and drug awareness. Workshops in the West Wing will be scheduled every 30 minutes.

The public is also encouraged to bring a canned food item to donate to the Yuma Community Food Bank at the event.

The following organizations/businesses will be on hand at the Back to School Rodeo:

• Ambiance Salon
• Arizona Game and Fish
• Barnes & Noble
• Boys & Girls Club
• Boy Scouts
• Catch n'Go Flag Football
• Cenpatico
• Chicanos Por La Causa/Migrant Head Start
• Child and Family Resources
• Community Legal Services
• Corona Optique
• Crane School District
• Crossroads Mission
• Dance Makers
• Dawn's Dance Studio/Jazz of Yuma
• Easter Seals Blake Foundation
• El Dorado Broadcasters
• First Smiles- Yuma
• First Things First
• Fret Works!
• Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona
• Harvest Preparatory Academy
• Home Depot
• JCPenney
• Larios Karate Club
• Lowe's
• Mr. B's Bicycles
• Reach Out and Read
• Regional Center for Border Health
• Saddles of Joy
• San Luis Walk-In Clinic
• Special Olympics Arizona River Area
• S.M.I.L.E Independent Living Center
• Sunset Community Health Center
• Walmart Vision Center
• YMCA
• Yuma Art Center
• Yuma Ballet Academy
• Yuma Boys Baseball League
• Yuma Community Food Bank
• Yuma Fire Department
• Yuma In-Line Hockey League
• Yuma Parks and Recreation
• Yuma Police Department
• Yuma Regional Medical Center
• Yuma Sun
• Yuma Youth Fast Pitch
• Yuma Youth Soccer
• Yuma County Dentists
• Yuma County Health Services District
• Yuma County Intergovernmental Transportation Public Transportation Authority (YCIPTA)
• Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center
• Yuma County Library
• Yuma County Sheriff's Office Explorers
• Yuma Union High School District
• Z TrendZ
• Z Fun Factory/Waylon's Water World