Grapeland FD Plans Back-to-School Water Bash

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

GRAPELAND – Grapeland Independent School District (GISD) Sandies and Sandiettes will head back to classes Thursday, Aug. 8, with a number of events surrounding the trek back to school, including a fun-day water bash sponsored by Grapeland Fire Department. (GFD)

The district set the hours for students for the upcoming year, with elementary classes from 7:40 a.m.-4 p.m. and secondary classes from 7:45 a.m.-4:05 p.m. GISD will hold its “Meet the Teachers” event Monday, Aug. 5, with elementary school from 5-6 p.m. and secondary schools 5:30-6:30.

Grapeland’s First Methodist Church is inviting teachers and staff from area schools to their morning worship service Sunday, July 28 at 11 a.m., blessing the school supplies they will be donating to GISD, as Pastor Wade Harmon prays for safety, strength, wisdom and peace for those working with the students.

Grapeland Volunteer Fire Department is doing its part to give the kids some well-deserved fun before they head back to class with their “Back-To-School Water Bash,” set for Saturday, Aug. 3 from 11 a.m-3 p.m. at the fire department at 117 West Oak Street in Grapeland.

“We have rented two big water slides and we really want to have a water balloon fight with the kids, with different buckets of water balloons on the side, and then we’re going to spray the kids and have a little water war,” according to Grapeland Volunteer Firefighter and EMS Technician Danielle Tarver. “We just wanted to do something to give back to the community and the kids.”

GFD will be closing Oak Street during the celebration for safety and to give the kids more room to play and the event will include a dunking booth, with Grapeland Police Officers rumored to have volunteered to be in the firing line.

Tarver said the fire trucks will be out spraying water and with the other activities, kids and parents attending the free event should get be ready to go home soaked to the skin. There will be food, such as hot dogs and popcorn, along with plenty of flying water balloons, too.

GFD will also have a booth for anyone interested in signing up to volunteer with the department. The Messenger had noted with alarm the diminishing number of people willing to give their time to our local fire departments and encourages those able to sign up.

It has been a hard summer for local fire departments, given the rain and storms. Tarver herself joked she could put “lumberjack” on her resumes, since they have been called out so often to handle fallen limbs and trees.

While the little Sandies will have to get back and hit the books in a couple of weeks, at least they will have the opportunity to have a fun and wet day, thanks to Grapeland’s firefighters.