Tampa Elks Lodge #708 held a back-to-school party Aug. 3 for area children in need. Two community organizations gave assistance as well — MGM Charity Partners and Happy’s Home Centers. They also helped fund the event along with the lodge charity fund and member donations. Before the party, more than 20 volunteers packed bags with appropriate school supplies for each child based on their grade. Parents and 63 students were in attendance. Upon arrival, each child received a bag of material from the Elks Drug Awareness program and a fruit snack. A spaghetti dinner was then served to all the children, parents and volunteers. During dinner, Woogie Bajgier from MGM Charity Partners explained that the focus of their charity is children and veterans, just like the Elks. Tampa lodge member Roshaun Gendrett, a professional motivational speaker, encouraged the children present to have their best school year by doing just three things: “Do your best,” “Do the right thing,” and “Don’t give up.” A representative from Happy’s Home Centers spoke about the company’s commitment to families of south Tampa. After the speaker presentations, each student obtained their personalized bag of school supplies and went to the MGM table to pick out a box of cereal, a box of Pop Tarts and 10 snack items. At the Happy’s Home Centers table, they picked up a drawstring backpack, T-shirt and more supplies. Lodge Youth Activities chairs, Mike and Patty Volpe, then led the children in playing three physically active games beside their seats. All the children took turns at the prize table, where they could choose additional school supplies, snacks and small toys. By the party’s end, each child left with at least three very full bags of items to make going back to school more successful.