T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce Director Wendy Anderson, left, and Lisa Kindler, event coordinator of the Belmont County Safety Council, invite families with young children to a Back to School Backpack Giveaway Aug. 12. They are also looking for more sponsors to help purchase backpacks and stock them with school supplies.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The St. Clairsville Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for more sponsors to help outfit school children to start off the school year off prepared. Chamber Director Wendy Anderson said the final Second Saturday in front of the Belmont County courthouse will include a giveaway of backpacks and school supplies.

The next Second Saturday is set for 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 12. Lisa Kindler, coordinator with the Belmont County Safety Council, who also works in the chamber office, said sponsorships are $250.

“We’re going to have vendors, and we’re also going to be giving away backpacks and back-to-school supplies,” she said. “Right now we have sponsors.”

Kindler said the first 50 elementary school students will receive a backpack of supplies. She added they hope to have more than 50 backpacks when Second Saturday arrives.

Anderson said this is the first time the chamber has done such a drive and sought sponsorships

“It’s open to any kid that’s here in the Ohio Valley,” Anderson said. “We really want to give back to the community. The Second Saturdays we do, it’s all about the community.”

She and Kindler said the events also serve to promote local businesses on the second Saturdays of July and August.

“We want to do it with a theme. We like to have a theme. July was July 4 and August is back to school,” Anderson said. “We just want to give back to the community and help our local businesses.”

She added there are many families with young children in need of some extra help when preparing for the school year.

They said so far, the sponsors are the Belmont Savings Bank, Tri-County Help Center, the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center, Laroche Tree Service and the Belmont County Safety Council.

Thanks also went to Columbia Gas for giving away school supplies and children’s books with safety instructions of what to do in an emergency.

Anderson said the day will also feature D.J. Mason, a bouncy house, the food truck 740 BBQ.

For more information or to donate, call 740-695-9623, email administrator@stcchamber.com, or send a check to the Chamber address at 117 E Main St., St Clairsville.