25,000 people line up for 9,000 free backpacks filled with school supplies

[Lorien]

My friend Thor does a sketch journal of things happening in and around our city. This was a recent entry:



When I arrived at the Amway Arena at 10AM on Saturday, I was immediately greeted with a line of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. In side the Arena 9000 backpacks were being given away packed with pencils, rulers and hand sanitizer. Hope Now International organized this event. Inside the arena there were free immunizations, hair cuts, Community Resources, prizes, entertainment and music.
It was insanely hot outside with temperatures well above 95 degrees and the humidity making the air thick and wet. Green hand fans were given to people waiting in line and large pallets of bottled water were on hand but parents and children had to wait in line for hours on end just to finally get into the arena. I had wanted to sketch inside the arena but in the parking lot I read a sign that said,"No backpacks are allowed in the Arena." I thought that was rather ironic, but I decided my task was to document the mass of humanity who were made to wait in the sun.

(snip)

It wasn't until 1PM that the line finally got shorter. At this point I had finished both sketches. I was hot and sweaty and smelled like mold. Watching this huge agonizing line reminded me of new reel footage I had seen of bread lines the Great Depression. More and more people are finding themselves without a job and struggling to scrape by. An estimated 25,000 people waited to get into the arena that day. The evidence of hard times is obvious.

http://thorspecken.blogspot.com/2010/08/9000-backpacks.html

[Lorien]

1. Since it's sinking like a stone I'll give it a

:kick:

Obviously we have to find better ways of getting school supplies to struggling families...and to schools, for that matter!