Photo/Brittany Wise Jennifer Logsdon, with Leitchfield Family Resource and Youth Services Center (LFRYSC), spoke to Wilkey Elementary School students at the Bulldog Bonanza on Thursday evening.

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Photo/Brittany Wise Miss Kim's Kindergarten class got settled into their new places as their teacher discussed the upcoming school year with parents.

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Photo/Brittany Wise United Way of Central Kentucky, a major sponsor of the event, also hosted a booth for students and parents to stop by and see what the group is all about.

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Wilkey Elementary School hosted a one-of-a-kind back to school night for their students and parents on Thursday evening.

The event, which was sponsored in part by United Way of Central Kentucky (UWCK), included the typical meet-and-greet with new teachers and a tour of the building, as well as a lot of extras for the students.

Thanks to the help of UWCK, the school was able to provide each student with all of their back-to-school supplies at no cost, including a backpack with the school’s mascot - the bulldog - emblazoned on the front. The Leitchfield Women’s Club was even on hand to put the students’ names on their backpacks for them.

Free school supplies can mean a lot to families in a district where the majority of students come from low-income homes, but the perks did not stop there. Students were also offered free dental screenings, hearing screenings, health checks, and even complimentary haircuts at the event.

Booths were set up in the school’s gymnasium by local organizations offering information on a variety of services and plenty of free items for the kids.

A meal was also served, allowing students and their families to mingle and get to know both school employees and other Wilkey families.

Despite the evening’s rainy weather, which moved some activities indoors and drenched more than a handful of parents and kids, the Bulldog Bonanza successfully prepared students for the upcoming school year, and saved their parents some serious expenses.