MIDDLEBURG – Parents left the Salvation Army with smiles and new backpacks filled with school supplies and shoes, while children left with smiles, painted faces, tummies filled with hot dogs and hamburgers and lips stained with snow cone syrup from Friday’s Back to School Outreach.

According to Jennifer Wheeler, the Social Service Director of Northeast Florida, Clay County, after serving more than 750 students last year, the Salvation Army accepted 860 registrations this year and greeted more than 100 children without registrations.

In anticipation of a larger turnout, the Salvation Army ordered 1,000 bookbags. Capt. Mike Chamberlain said any leftovers will be distributed in Keystone Heights and Green Cove Springs.

Winn-Dixie, Florida Blue, Fleming Island Group, Ascension St. Vincent’s Clay, American Academy of Cosmetology, VyStar Credit Union, and Florida Heiken Children’s Vision Program made the event possible.

“We do it because there’s a need,” Chamberlain said. “We like to bring people into our ministry.

“The number of people keeps going up. We thank the community for supporting us. We’ve had trouble in the past getting haircuts, but this year, we got haircuts for boys and girls.”

Wheeler said parents could schedule physicals, eye exams, and glasses. Florida Heiken traveled from Miami to provide 180 exams.

There were at least five stylists providing haircuts.

“We want kids to get their haircuts and backpacks before school,” Wheeler said.