Ada Sunrise Rotary members spent the week of July 18–24 assembling this year's Back to School Basics kits: 1,000 hygiene kits, more than 500 backpacks, and over 50 boxes of school supplies now sorted, boxed, and ready for delivery to schools across the region. The program is led by Rotarian Leah Dudley and funded by proceeds from the club's Fireball Classic Memorial Race.
Ada Sunrise Rotary completed assembly of this year's Back to School Basics kits during the week of July 18–24. Volunteers began work on Saturday, July 18, and finished packing on Friday, July 24.
The final count: 1,000 hygiene kits, more than 500 backpacks, and over 50 boxes of school supplies, all sorted, boxed, and ready to go out to schools. As Leah Dudley, the club's director for the program, put it after the last box was sealed: “Beautiful! 1000 hygiene kits, over 500 backpacks and 50+ boxes of school supplies sorted, boxed up and ready for regional schools.”
One number that stood out this year, close to 500 boxes of Crayola crayons were included in the supplies going out the door.
Supplies are headed to elementary, middle school, and high school groups in Ada, Allen, Asher, Konowa, Sasakwa, Byng, Latta, Roff, Stonewall, Vanoss, Mill Creek, and Coalgate. Club members began calling schools on Friday, July 24, and the next steps are finalizing contact with each district and scheduling delivery of the boxes.
Back to School Basics is funded by proceeds from the Fireball Classic Memorial Race, the club's annual July 4th run at Wintersmith Park. Every registration, sponsorship, and donation tied to that race turns directly into school supplies for students in our area.
The club extends its thanks to First Presbyterian Church for the use of the Westminster Fellowship Hall. Having a space large enough to spread out, sort, and stage a project of this size made the week's work possible.
See more photos from our Back to School Basics 2026 Photo Album!
