Over the course of the next several weeks, countless school children will flock to local and area stores, each looking to stock up on school supplies and clothes.

The simple annual tradition will come much easier for some than it will for others.

Many families struggle to make ends meet as it is. Adding school supplies on top of that can be an undue burden.

It’s heart wrenching to think that a child will begin the first day of school without at least some of the tools they will need but that will be the case.

In preparation for a new school year, Regions Bank in Demopolis will host a “Tools for Schools” supply drive in partnership with the Demopolis Board of Education, which will end this Friday.

The Demopolis branch will accept donations of school supplies to be distributed to local public school classrooms in the fall. Any new school items will be accepted, and a list of suggested items is available at the local Regions branch.

If you need a further list of acceptable supplies, you can find them at many local stores. The list is basic: Pens, glue, notebooks, pencils, crayons and the like.

If at all possible, we urge all Demopolis shoppers to dig just a little deeper and make the purchase of just a few dollars for a local child.

Drop it by Regions Bank and they’ll handle it from there.

A few dollars will go a long way in helping ensure a bright future for a child that otherwise might have missed out.