Back to School Bash

July 24 & 25 | 3–8 p.m.

The Care Center exists to fight poverty and injustice so lives are transformed and Jesus is known. Each year, we have the opportunity to help the kids and students in our community get ready for the new school year with dignity and hope.

Registration opens May 1, 2025.

 

Register for the Bash

Attend the Back to School Bash

School aged kids and students (Pre-K–12th grade) have the opportunity to pick out a new backpack and fill it with supplies, shop for new clothes, get a fresh haircut, receive health services and screenings required for school, and more!

Registration opens May 1, 2025.

Every child attending must be registered.

Register for the Bash

Donate a Backpack

Our hope is to provide 2,500 students with a new backpack this year, and we would love for you to help us reach that goal. You can participate in the Bash by donating a backpack to Willow that will be handed out at the Bash. Here are the ways you can donate:

  • Bring a new backpack to Willow Creek South Barrington on Sunday, July 13 and 20.
  • Shop our Amazon wishlist and have your backpack shipped directly to the Care Center.
Shop Our Wishlist

Volunteer at the Bash

We would love for you to be a part of making our Back to School Bash happen. There are a variety of opportunities to serve, including sorting backpacks and school supplies, greeting children and families as they arrive, serving in the Care Center in the Clothing Store or Market Plaza, and much more!

See our full list of volunteer opportunities below.

Sign up to Serve

Volunteer Roles

  • Pre-Event F Door Greeter/Guide
  • Greeter/Line Guide*
  • Registration*
  • Backpack & School Supplies
  • Haircut Line Greeter/Guide
  • Tienda de ropa
  • Clothing Fill-A-Bag
  • Treat Stations
  • Floater/Runner
  • Clean Up

* Bilingual volunteers especially needed

Professional Roles

We have the opportunity to offer specialized services to our guests, including haircuts, dental exams, and vision screenings. All students are eligible to receive a haircut (number of stylists dependent); students in the grades that require dental exams and vision screenings for the school year are eligible only.

  • Hairstylists/Cosmetologists
  • Dentists & Dental Assistants
  • Optometrists

The next time you visit your hairstylist, dentist, or eye doctor, ask them if they would be interested in volunteering at the Back to School Bash.