Volunteers, school supplies sought for City of Charleston’s annual First Day Festival

July 21, 2022

The city of Charleston will host the annual Back to School First Day Festival on Sunday, August 7, 2022 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Charleston Gaillard Center and South Carolina Aquarium. Sponsored by the city of Charleston since 2003, First Day Festival is a celebration of the start of the new school year.

The purpose of the event is to provide children and families with the supplies and information they need to start the school year off right.

At the event, children receive free school supplies, families are given free, fresh foods courtesy of the Lowcountry Food Bank and provided information from close to 100 community organizations. Those that attend also enjoy free admission to the South Carolina Aquarium during the hours of the festival.

The community is invited to be part of the event in the following ways:

  • Host a School Supply Drive within their company or organization
  • Donate school supplies at one of the following designated drop-off locations:
    • City of Charleston offices at 75 Calhoun Street, Suite 3700
    • City of Charleston offices at 823 Meeting Street
    • Daniel Island Recreation Center, 160 Fairbanks Drive
    • James Island Recreation Center, 1088 Quail Drive
    • Arthur Christopher Community Center, 265 Fishburne Street
    • Bees Landing Recreation Center, 1580 Ashley Gardens Boulevard
    • United Bank Locations:
      • 288 Meeting Street
      • 884 Orleans Road
      • 430 Folly Road
      • 1492 Stuart Engels Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant
      • 1724 State Road, Summerville
      • 200 North Cedar Street, Summerville
  • Volunteer at the event
  • Sign on as a financial sponsor

For more information and to sign up, visit https://bit.ly/CHSFirstDayFestival.

The First Day Festival is possible because of long-standing partnerships with the Charleston County School District, South Carolina Aquarium, Lowcountry Food Bank, and the many exhibitors, volunteers and donors who give of their time, talents and resources.