The Salome Foundation is hosting its third annual Spark in the Park back-to-school event this weekend at Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center.
This Saturday, the Hamilton Park-based nonprofit will host its annual back-to-school event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m at the center. Attractions include activities, giveaways and free food for local families. Programming for the event centers around STEM education, with activities taking a scavenger hunt-like approach with school supplies as a prize at the end.
Outgoing Salome Foundation President Taler Jefferson says her favorite part of the event is seeing neighborhood children take an interest in something she’s passionate about.
“Just seeing the kids being excited about STEM,” Jefferson said. “My degrees are in biology as well as health science and nutrition science. So I get excited to see some kids get excited (about it).”
As the name implies, the event is designed to “spark” children’s curiosity and encourage interest in science. This year, children will move from room to room in the recreation center, completing activities involving virtual reality, kinetic sand and robotics. A drone show may also take place, Jefferson said.
The event is partially supported by grants from Texas Instruments and United Way.
At the end, each child will receive a backpack filled with school supplies. Last year, the foundation gave away close to 1500 backpacks, although that has been downsized to 500 this year as giveaways are expanded to include school uniforms for Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet, which has instituted uniforms for the upcoming school year.
“I talked to the school board trustee Regina Harris, and she said that we can get the basic black, red, and I think it’s white polos,” Jefferson said. “And then we’re going to give some of those out to the students who need it. And then anything else that we have left over, they’ll be housed at the recreation center.”
Leftover supplies stored at the recreation center will be available to all students and families until supplies run out, she said.
In addition to activities and giveaways, there will also be a bounce house, live DJ and a barber providing free haircuts. Food vendors lined up for the event include Tony’s Tacos, Stiffler’s Mom’s Cookie Company, a shaved ice truck and a sweet tea stand.
“We gotta give all the stuff out,” Jefferson said. “So please come out to this event. Bring all your kids, every last one of your kids, to enjoy this at all. Our food trucks are free. So everything is free. You’re not paying for anything.”
Jefferson founded the Salome Foundation in 2018. The nonprofit supports various Hamilton Park Initiatives through fundraising, scholarships and hosting events like an annual Juneteenth Celebration.
She still lives in the same house her great-grandparents bought after the neighborhood’s development in the 1950s, and for her, supporting the neighborhood through events like Spark in the Park is critical.
“I wanted to kind of come back and help the next generation of kids and give back to the people who poured into me and made me who I am,” she said.
