Getting ready for the school year to begin can be exciting, but expensive.

For Federal Way families who are feeling overwhelmed by the thought of the school year price tag, the Boys and Girls Club is offering support.

The 3rd annual “Back 2 School” event will be held on Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature free resources and activities for families.

In 2022, the Boys & Girls Club served more than 1,000 kids and families at this event. Many of last year’s features are returning including free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts and food.

Instead of holding the ‘Back 2 School’ event at last year’s location, this year’s festivities will take place at the Ron Sandwith Teen Center located at 31453 28th Ave S.

The organizers wanted to ensure that families could easily access the event through public transit, said Duwayne Le’i, the Operations Director at the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club. The Ron Sandwith Teen Center is only a 7 minute walk from the Federal Way Transit Center.

Haircuts will be provided by two local barber shops that are a resource in themselves. Lamont Styles of the Life’s Styles Barber Academy and Detailed Experience both mentor young barbers and even support them with getting certified and licensed to enter the field professionally.

Free food will include a shaved ice truck, BBQ and pizza. There will also be food to take home, like pancake mix to make breakfast for early school mornings.

Aside from food and school supplies, attendees can also enjoy field games, face painting and a visit from South King County Fire and Rescue. The Seattle Storm has also joined the fun by providing free game tickets to attendees.

Le’i said that the ‘Back 2 School’ event is important to the community because while Federal Way is not the largest city in the region, it has its share of community members experiencing homelessness and other challenges.

The event is designed to be a lot of fun but is there to be “a support for those families who are in need, especially [those] who are going back to school.”

Le’i also emphasized that events like these are about more than the resource distribution itself. “The most important thing is bringing the community together” he said, adding that fostering these connections is a large part of what drives him to do the work he does.

This year the Boys and Girls Club has added a new element by inviting local organizations to not only to partner but also participate through tabling and sharing resources directly with attendees.

Doing this can help “put a face to certain people, especially to local nonprofits” Le’i explained, and can help families by exposing them to resources that they might not know about.

In attendance will be: Build 2 Lead, Pro Se Potential, El Centro De la Raza, Restored Minds, Multi-Service Center, Federal Way Public Schools and the King County Library System.

The Boys and Girls Club representatives will also be available to talk to families about their programs and share information about how to sign up for after school programming.

For older kids, this means academic support and plenty of time or assistance to complete their homework. For the younger students, academic programming focuses on helping kids learn and retain skills in math, English Language Arts and other areas. Clubs also offer programs for athletics, arts, leadership and more.

Federal Way has two club locations, one at 30815 8th Ave. S. and the other Ex3 Ron Sandwith Teen Center at 31453 28th Ave. S.

Those interested in volunteering or donating to the back to school event can email dlei@positiveplace.org.

To learn more about the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County or to enroll, visit positiveplace.org.