Free school supplies at back to school rally

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville area school kids and their parents showed up Saturday for a big Back to School Rally at the Georgia Mountains Center featuring free school supplies and tips on staying drug free; the event was hosted by the Beulah Rucker Museum, the Drug Free Coalition and Community Connections.

Christy Lentz of Gainesville with two small school children got in line early to save money on school supplies.

"It's been a little rough," she said. "Teachers need a lot of stuff to make up for what the budget cuts have taken away."

Carol Ligon, Hall County Schools "Safe and Drug Free Schools" specialist, said parents, instructed by the Drug Free Coalition, learned where to look for hidden drugs in a teenager's re-created bed room; the program was called "Hidden in Plain Sight."

"This is so when they go to search a room they're not just walking in, scanning the room, and then saying I don't see anything," Ligon said.

Beulah Rucker executive director Rojene Bailey said the rally is aimed at keeping youngster interested in staying in school.

"Education is the key," Rucker said. "One problem we have all over the country is that kids are dropping out of school and that's a burden on everybody. We want to show kids the importance of education and staying in school so that's what this is about."