Local Hoke County students will participate in a backpack giveaway, complimentary food and family fun at a Back to School Bash event sponsored by Hoke County entrepreneur and local community sponsor, Morreal Murchison.

Hosted by Country Boy Enterprises of Fayetteville, LLC and sponsored by various small businesses in the community, the ninth annual event is scheduled for 2 p.m. August 21 at the Tylertown Community Building located at 399 Doc Brown Road in Raeford.

For the past nine years the Back to School Bash has provided bookbags, notebooks, pencils, and other school supplies for children in need. This year the event will be expanded to support students in other ways as well. Local barbers and hairstylists will be on site providing free haircuts and styles for the children. Financial specialists will be available to discuss the importance of credit building and financial aid and scholarships as students transition to college and careers. There will be free food and refreshments available. There will also be bounce houses for the kids to celebrate the last week of summer vacation before they buckle down to focus on their studies.

Murchison is the owner of Country Boy Enterprises of Fayetteville LLC, a logistics and landscaping company, as well as the founder and CEO of Country Trap Entertainment. For nearly a decade, Murchison has sponsored the children of the Robbin Heights community with a backpack and school supply giveaway in the park. This year Murchison decided it was time to expand to include the entire county where he grew up.

When asked why he chooses to give back in this way, Murchison said “It’s important because I didn’t have it like that when I was a child coming up in a household with five kids, no father. My mama worked to pay bills and keep us fed, she couldn’t always afford all our back-to-school supplies and there weren’t any back to school drives back then. I want to change that and be the help our family could have benefitted from.”

In addition to the annual Back to School Bash, Murchison also hosts a Christmas event each year to provide shoes and toys to underprivileged youth in the area.

Submitted by Gabby Patrick