Edison Back-to-School rally yields crowd

Hundreds of students and family members turned out for the 2025 Edison Back-to-School Rally held Aug. 7 at Edison Jr./Sr. High School.

The large crowd gathered near the fieldhouse to gear up for the new school year as they collected free school supplies, received information and giveaways, acquired Edison T-shirts and other items, enjoyed food and inflatables, and met the fall sports athletes. Supt. Bill Beattie said there was something for everyone and the purpose was to help kick off their return to the classroom.

“I think we've increased our number of vendors and food trucks. The Jefferson County General Health District and Family Recovery Center, in conjunction with the county Juvenile Task Force, provided the ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ simulator to give parents an opportunity to view a virtual tour of a child’s bedroom to see possible dangers,” Beattie said.

He continued that the rally united everyone in a fun way to get ready for the new school year. “It's always nice to do this and it gives everyone a chance to get together,” he added.

Kids received free school supplies and cinch sacks from their respective school buildings, including Edison Jr./Sr. High, Stanton Elementary, and John Gregg Elementary, while district transportation and food service officials were also in attendance with information. Schedules, calendars, and other resources were offered while bake sales, giveaways, and prize raffles were available.

Among the vendors were the EHS football, cheer, soccer, swim, volleyball, wrestling, and golf teams; EHS Band; Edison FFA; Richmond Methodist Church; the Jefferson County General Health District; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Response Team; county Juvenile Task Force; Community Action Council; Family Recovery Center; J.B. Green Team; U.S. Army Recruiting Center; U.S. Navy; Special Connections; Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities; and the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development's COAD 4 Kids program.

In addition, the little ones had fun running, climbing, and bouncing on inflatables provided by Screwy Louie's Bounce House Foam and Party Rentals, and the hungry crowd loaded up on treats from Hokulia Shaved Ice, Cheesy Pack grilled sandwiches, All-American Burger Co., and Rusty Bull tacos food trucks. Mascot Eddie the Wildcat made an appearance while the night ended with the Meet the Team event.

Several of the students said they were excited about the rally and getting ready to head back to class.

“I liked all the food and going to ride on the inflatables,” said Barrett Bendle, a sixth-grade student at John Gregg.

“I liked the bouncy houses,” said Stanton first-grader Nolan Cooper, while Stanton second-grader Coulter Reed agreed.

The rally has been held for more than a decade and has attracted about 400 to 500 participants annually to kick off the start of school, which will begin Aug. 20.