Clubs clinked and sprinklers hissed in the midday heat at Big Rock Mini Golf & Fun Park as families gathered for a unique back-to-school event. The Arkansas Martin Luther King Commission turned a putting green into a distribution point for free supplies, mixing community outreach with play.
A mix of learning and fun
Commissioner Kenneth "Muskie" Harris stood near the entrance, waving to arriving families. Children darted past a driving range and through a twisting maze while parents scanned signs for pickup times. Alongside backpacks and notebooks, organizers offered a "little sprinkler garden" to cool down and an arcade for extra entertainment.
Parents required, gifts for fathers
The giveaway runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., but supplies will go quickly. Muskie said the first 100 fathers to arrive will receive a special gift, an incentive to encourage early arrival. But no child will leave with a backpack unless their parent is present at the pickup table.
A community effort with statewide goals
Muskie praised the support of local sponsors who share the commission’s goal of unity. The back-to-school initiative takes place in Little Rock this year, though the commission works across the state.
