LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II hosted a free back-to-school event at Walnut Community Center where families picked up backpacks, school supplies, helmets and booster seats ahead of the first day of class.
The event drew hundreds of attendees, with lines forming before doors opened despite temperatures exceeding 110 degrees, according to McCurdy.
University Medical Center staff used the event to distribute helmets and educate families about staying safe near school zones. Clinical Nurse Manager Amy Runge said an informal study conducted at the hospital found that four out of five students treated for bike or scooter injuries were not wearing helmets at the time.
“We want to make sure as students go back to school that they’re safe,” Runge said. “So whether they do so by riding a bike or an e-bike or a scooter or even in the car with their parents, that they understand how to stay safe. So we’re providing the education as well as the actual helmets.”
Runge said the helmets distributed at the event include lights on the back to encourage children to wear them.
“If you give a kid a helmet and they won’t wear it, it does them no good,” Runge said.
MORE ON FOX5: Clark County School District class of 2026 earns over $380M in scholarships
One-stop school prep
In addition to supplies and safety gear, families had the opportunity to get children’s vaccines and sports physicals completed on-site. McCurdy said the goal was to give families everything they needed in a single visit.
“You can get your backpacks, you can get your school supplies, you can get your helmet, you can get a booster seat, or you can get your vaccine, or you can get a sports physical — all in one spot, all at one time,” McCurdy said.
McCurdy said the community response to the event reflected the level of need in the area.
“The response has been very simple — it’s thank you,” McCurdy said. “Just to have a thank you is enough for me. It’s really letting me know that the need was there.”
Second event scheduled
McCurdy said a second back-to-school event is scheduled at Melvin Ennis on Thursday, Aug. 7, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
