SAN ANTONIO \u2013 More than 1,000 runners gathered at SeaWorld San Antonio with a shared mission: collecting school supplies for students in Edgewood Independent School District.<\/p>\n
Families, teachers and kids showed up Sunday for the San Antonio Fear Free Environment 5K Fun Run carrying backpacks and boxes of supplies. Runners of all ages participated \u2014 from children to parents pushing strollers \u2014 each bringing donations to help local students head back to school prepared.<\/p>\n
In its second year running the event, the San Antonio Police Department\u2019s San Antonio Fear Free Environment unit said they intentionally focused on a district facing significant need.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe met with the faculty, we met the district, and geographically it is one of the poorest districts within the Bexar County region,\u201d SAPD SAFFE Officer Jairo Sanchez said. \u201cIt\u2019s very humbling that they\u2019re supporting this event as well, so that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to keep trying to do every year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edely Olvera, Edgewood ISD\u2019s lead parent liaison, said the community support goes a long way for students and their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited,\u201d Olvera said. \u201cWe can\u2019t wait to see what we\u2019re going to give to our students, and it\u2019s going to be a lot. So thank you, thank you to the community and SAPD.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olvera said the donations ease the financial strain that back-to-school season can place on families \u2014 particularly those with several children.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor our students, our parents, the confidence that it gives our students to go back to school,\u201d Olvera said. \u201cThey have supplies, they\u2019re ready for school, the parents don\u2019t have to worry about buying so many school supplies if they have five or more children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edgewood ISD will continue to collect donations Thursday at St. Jude Catholic Church\u2019s parking lot.<\/p>\n