Stuff the Cruiser set for July 30 in Marion

Jul. 8—The Marion Police Department Foundation is gearing up for its annual Stuff the Cruiser event to bring school supplies and backpacks to children in need.

Police Chief Randall Davis said the foundation is expecting anywhere from 500 to 1,000 kids from Marion, Lauderdale County, Kemper County and West Alabama to attend the back-to-school event.

"We want to make sure the kids have enough," he said. "That's what it's all about."

Stuff the Cruiser began about 10 years ago when a local school reached out the foundation about supplies for students, Davis said. The event started with a handful of backpacks, some notebooks and a few school supplies, he said, and has grown larger each year.

"It got bigger and bigger and bigger," he said.

Now, Stuff the Cruiser is a day-long event where 800 to 1,200 backpacks are given out each year to children throughout East Mississippi and West Alabama, Davis said. Additionally, he said the event has brought in career opportunities such as military recruiters and representatives from Meridian Community College to talk with students about their futures.

This year's Stuff the Cruiser event is scheduled for July 30 at Marion Town Hall, Davis said. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and last all day.

Afterward, leftover supplies will be handed out where they're needed. In the past, Davis said, supplies have been donated to children as far away as Carthage, Mississippi and York, Alabama.

"I don't care where they come from," he said. "I'm here to take care of the kids."

This year, Davis said he is expecting there will be an even greater need for school supplies as families face high gas prices and inflation.

The Marion Police Department Foundation is accepting donations of backpacks and school supplies or monetary donations to help purchase the supplies. Residents, businesses or community organizations wanting to get involved can bring donations to the Marion Police Department located at 6021 Dale Drive.