Pam Davidson on 18 years of the NAACP's Back to School Community Cookout

"Please come out. We are looking for everybody to come out in the community. If you need a backpack or not, just come out and just be among your neighbors." That's Pam Davidson, president of the Galesburg NAACP, previewing the organization's 18th annual Back to School Community Cookout, set for Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kiwanis Park, 2191 E. Knox St. in Galesburg. She talked about: Why the cookout—which features grilled hotdogs and burgers—has run every year for nearly two decades, timed to the weekend before school starts How more than 250 backpacks and school supplies get distributed each year The volunteers who make it happen, including the Galesburg High School football team and Carl Sandburg College students What's planned for the day, from free haircuts to a splash pad and mobile entertainment unit Why Davidson says the event is open to everyone in the community, not just families in need   Related story: NAACP's Back to School Cookout returns for 18th year with backpacks, haircuts, and food 🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg's Morning News: Apple Podcasts | Spotify