The First Baptist Church of Weirsdale held its “Back to School Bash” on Saturday, July 26, 2025. The event ran from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and featured plenty of activities and ways to beat the heat.
The “Back to School Bash” aims to help local children prepare for the upcoming school year by providing free backpacks filled to the brim with school supplies, a BBQ lunch, inflatable water slides for both little ones and thrill seekers, cotton candy, face painting, haircuts, and more.
Vanessa Butts, Outreach Leader for the First Baptist Church of Weirsdale, explained that the church gave away 180 backpacks and had 500 attendees last year. This year, they knocked it out of the park, distributing approximately 400 backpacks and welcoming 2,000 people. The “Bash” was a huge success and well organized.
Pastor Jamie Scher shared that the First Baptist Church of Weirsdale is praying and partnering with The Christian Care Center in Leesburg to build a large Benevolence Center directly across from the church, on land owned by the church. The center will include a food pantry, a clothes closet, counseling services, and a transition house for men who successfully complete a drug and alcohol recovery program. The Benevolence Center will serve all of Marion County. Pastor Scher added, “It takes a community to feed a community,” and noted they are actively seeking donations to build and maintain the facility.
The “Back to School Bash” was sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Weirsdale, Bikers Against Bullies Ocala, FL Chapter, Global Contracting, and members of the local community.
Jessica Khork with the First Baptist Church of Weirsdale and Donnie Bryant, Liaison for Bikers Against Bullies Ocala, Fl Chapter both volunteered their time to make the “Back To School Bash”.
These brave volunteers manned the grills in the heat all day to bring a free and delicious meal to approximately 2,000 people that attended. The volunteers served pulled pork, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn and baked beans.
Kehlani, a five year old going into first grade, gets her free backpack from the First Baptist Church of Weirsdale’s “Back To School Bash”.
Virginia Gibbons had her hands full of color as she painted Hope Crawford’s pretty face with a fun design at the First Baptist of Weirsdale “Back To School Bash”.
Tay Woods, six years old, beams as he gets his Cotton Candy from a volunteer.
From left, Austin and sister, Ava Linderman, along with their mom, Jackie Cole wait in line for their backpacks with Rose Davis and her grandson, Chase VanWagner. The families came out to celebrate the church’s “Back To School Bash”.
Pastor Jamie Scher and Outreach Leader Vanessa Butts of First Baptist Church of Weirsdale show off just a portion of the massive amount of backpacks that the church gave away. The church is located at 13725 164th St in Weirsdale and will be building a Benevolence Center across the street from the church soon.
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