Hundreds Attend Back To School Breakfast

    North Lake County rolled out the red carpet for Back To School this past week, with children celebrated during events in Cassia and Umatilla, and school staff entering the spotlight at a special breakfast on Tuesday.
   This Thursday, August 10, is the first day back in the classroom for Lake County public school children.
   In Cassia, the annual Back to School Bash welcomed a large crowd at the Cassia Community Center for activities, giveaways, and more. Umatilla's First Baptist Church had hundreds of backpacks and supplies on hand for distribution during its annual Packs of Hope campaign that saw families turn out in large numbers for school supplies. On Tuesday, the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce was at the First Baptist Church of Umatilla hosting its annual Breakfast for Educators event, with hundreds of teachers, administrators, and support staff from area schools coming out for a morning of celebration ahead of Thursday's big day.
   Tuesday's breakfast featured a full meal supplied by various contributors including Sunsational Farms, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Florida's Natural, Laura's 4c's Catering, and Scooters coffee. All attendees received pottery party favors, and there were dozens of raffle baskets awarded. In addition, the chamber's annual cash prizes for school supplies were supported with an additional $400 in gift cards supplied by Florida House of Representatives candidate Addie Owens.