Our Daily Show Interview! OSF St. Anthony's Back to School Event on August 2nd!
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ALTON - Families are invited to a Back-to-School Celebration where the first 500 kids will receive free school supplies.
From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, community members can stop by Alton Square Mall to visit with vendors, enjoy a pizza lunch, and take home school supplies. The first 500 kids ages 4–12 will receive paper, pens, pencils, crayons and more, and organizers with OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center expect over 800 attendees.
“We’re looking forward to it,” said Randy Schorfheide. “It’s always a great day.”
Schorfheide encourages families to arrive early for the chance to receive school supplies. He explained that the registration table is outside the main OSF Rehab entrance at the mall.
There will be 21 vendors inside the mall, as well, including the Hayner Public Library District, Centerstone, and the Alton Community Unit School District #11. OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center’s radiology department will be present to teach the kids about x-rays, while the lab will have microscopes onsite.
Schorfheide emphasized that the vendors aim to bring information, education and entertainment to the event. Families can stop by these booths to learn more about the vendors’ programs and offerings.
Many of the vendors will be giving away prizes and freebies. OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center also has 20–25 baskets available as raffle prizes. You must be present to win.
Kids can also explore firetrucks, police vehicles, and a Survival Flight helicopter. There will be face-painting and balloon animals. Pizza, chips, cookies and bottled water will be provided while supplies last.
This is the fourth year that OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center has hosted the Back-to-School Celebration. This year’s event is sponsored exclusively by Dwight and Cheryl Werts with Werts Welding and Tank Service, Inc. Schorheide said the Werts family are “wonderful supporters” who come each year with “smiles on their faces.”
He added that the Back-to-School Celebration is open to all families in the Riverbend region. No paperwork is required to receive school supplies.
For more information about becoming a vendor, you can reach out to Schorfheide directly at randy.t.schorfheide@osfhealthcare.org. For a full list of vendors, click here.
As OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center prepares for their fourth annual Back-to-School Celebration, they hope to welcome even more families this year and give back to the community.
“Our mission — serving with the greatest care and love — is in everything we do, whether it’s on our hospital campus or in our doctors’ offices or out in the community,” Schorfheide added. “It is our mission, and that’s what motivates and inspires us each and every day.”
Visit OSFHealthcare.org for more information about OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center.
