Clayton News Daily

JONESBORO — County residents ignored the high temperatures and high humidity Saturday to attend the annual Chick-fil-A back-to-school bash.

It was held at the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro. Dozens of Chick-fil-A employees, Clayton County Public School officials, community leaders, and business sponsors spent a few hours greeting hundreds of students with bags filled with school supplies.

According to Eric Stalling, manager of the Chick-fil-A in Forest Park, the event marked the fifth year Chick-fil-A and Truett’s Grill restaurants have sponsored a back-to-school, school-supplies drive to benefit Clayton County children.

The collection of the supplies kicked off last month, and ran through Aug. 6. To culminate the drive, the celebration was thrown for the community.

It featured representatives from the National Basketball Association’s Atlanta Hawks, who handed out freebies. Jonesboro’s Toney Douglas, a point guard for the Houston Rockets, and his brother Harry, wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, signed autographs.

Representatives from several business and government organizations came out to show support, such as: Home Depot, Best Buy, Target, the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, the Amri Group and Delta Community Credit Union.

Chick-fil-A sandwiches, chips, and beverages were also sold during the event.

Ali Rice, the marketing director for Truett’s Grill in Morrow, said the money collected from food sales will be donated to Clayton County Public Schools, to help fund scholarship programs.