Long Beach parents will be able to get their kids ready for school this weekend with a little help from Councilman Al Austin and community organizations during the sixth annual Back to School Summer Blast giveaway event at Scherer Park this Saturday.

More than 1,000 kids will be able to receive haircuts, health screenings, resource information, hot dogs provided by the Long Beach Police Officers Association and backpacks filled with school supplies—all for free.

Kaiser Permanente and Benevolence Health Centers will be performing health, dental, vision and BMI (body mass index) screenings, according to Austin’s office.

“This is the sixth year the Eighth District has hosted the Back to School Summer Blast, and it is always one of the highlights of the year for me,” Austin said in a statement. “Ensuring that our kids are healthy and return to school with the tools they need to learn is so important.”

The event will also feature face painting, opportunity drawings, shaved ice and other types of family-friendly entertainment.

Sponsors of the event include the Port of Long Beach, the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, the Long Beach Police Officers’ Association and Avanath-Northpointe Apartments. The following city departments are expected to participate: the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Services Bureau, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and the Long Beach Public Library.

Children must be present to receive backpacks, which are available while supplies last.

The free event takes place Saturday, August 12 between 10:00AM and 1:00PM. Scherer Park is located at Del Amo Boulevard and 49th Street.

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