Hundreds of Ray County children will have the opportunity to start the school year with new supplies and additional support as the Ray County Coalition prepares for its second annual back-to-school resource fair.

The fair is scheduled for July 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the new Special Needs Services of Ray County building at 912 Walton Way in Richmond (formerly the Fowler Furniture store), where families will have access to school supplies and additional community resources.

After setting a goal of serving 100 children during its inaugural fair last year, the coalition provided supplies to at least 325 children and later donated additional supplies to local schools, meaning the event’s total impact is unknown. This year, organizers are preparing to serve 500 children.

To prepare for the increased goal, organizers have reached out to agencies they did not partner with last year, started promoting the event earlier and worked with local media outlets to spread the word.

Ray County Coaliti…