The City of Pharr held its annually Pharr First Responders Festival last weekend. Originally planned as a traditional festival, this year’s event became a drive-thru. During the successful event, the city and first responders gave away 2,000 bags of school supplies to the community.

“It was wonderful to witness our city departments, first responders and employees join together to help our community,” said Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez. “These past few months have been tough for many. We continue to try and do all that we can to help ensure that our Pharr families remain supported, especially as the school year is about to begin.”

The festival consisted of two simultaneous drive-thru events (each giving away 1,000 school supply bags). One took place North Pharr at the Pharr Events Center. The second was in South Pharr at the Development and Research Center.

“We had a great turn out at both locations, and it was especially a highlight for me to see the smiles on the faces of the children and parents as they made their way through the festival,” said Pharr Chief of Police Andrew Harvey. “Our first responders and city employees did a fantastic job of working together to make this event a success. We are especially proud to be a part of this amazing community.”

Showcasing Services for the Community

First responder vehicles were also at each location. Children and families got a closer look at police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

“This event is meant to showcase our first responders to the community, allowing us to highlight the services we provide,” said Danny, Ramirez, communications director for the City of Pharr. “Although a little different from last year, our festival this year allowed us to continue the tradition of informing Pharr families of our services while giving back at the same time.”

Students in attendance also had the opportunity to enter into a raffle for a laptop. The City of Pharr announced 20 lucky laptop winners via a live stream drawing on the city’s Facebook page Aug. 10.