Friday is the last day to order supplies for the 2nd Annual Denton Back to School Fair, which will provide thousands of area students with backpack and supplies for the coming school year.

Companies and individuals interested in supporting local students can visit www.unitedwaydenton.org/backtoschool for information on sponsorship opportunities and links to donate. The deadline is end of day Friday.

“We have had over 1,000 students register in under a week,” said Alicia McElroy, United Way of Denton County Director of Education and Workforce Initiatives. “This is awesome! But it means we are $10,000 short of purchasing supplies for all the kids currently registered. We are asking local companies and individuals to step up in a big way for these kids.”

The 2nd Annual Denton Back to School Fair will be held Aug. 10 at the UNT Gateway Center, 801 North Texas Blvd. Organizers are aiming to help 4,000 students and their families with backpacks, school supplies, health information and screenings, haircuts and more, according to a UWDC news release. This is the second year of a collaborative effort unifying three fairs into one big event to serve Denton ISD families more efficiently. Donations to the Denton Back to School Fair go further thanks to a 72% savings off retail prices.

In Denton, 44% of Denton ISD students qualify for free and reduced lunch with a household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. In addition to giving these students a new backpack and school supplies, this event equips the parents with resources their children need to have a confident and healthy start to the school year. Additional community partners joining forces to help students and their families prepare for school include: City of Denton, City of Denton Police, Denton Independent School District, Health Services of North Texas, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Interfaith Ministries of Denton, Serve Denton and United Way of Denton County.