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Balm Mission Hosts Back-To-School Fair

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By JOHN CEBALLOS | South Shore News & Tribune

Published: August 4, 2008

BALM - With summer vacation coming to a close, it's time to get children back in the school mind-set.

To that end, the Good Samaritan Mission, 14920 Balm-Wimauma Road, hosted its annual Back to School Fair today, wrapping it up at 4 p.m.

"We get a lot of people at the mission every week for our food and clothing giveaways, but this fair is one of our more popular annual events," said Laura Cruz, caregiving minister youth leader.

Cruz's parents, William and Dora, founded the Good Samaritan Mission.

This is the eighth year the couple have operated the current version of the fair, but they have organized some sort of after-school drive since the mission was founded more than 25 years ago.

More than 1,000 students and parents had taken advantage of backpack and school material giveaways by midday. Cruz said that by noon more than 900 backpacks had been given away.

There also were information sessions and free dental cavity screenings for children and free haircuts for students and adults.

For information on the mission and its programs, call (813) 634-7136.

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