ED9 Back-to-School Giveaway Reaches More Than 700 Children

More than 700 children attended the annual Electoral District 9 back-to-school giveaway at the Felix Morley Community Center in Five Cays on Sunday, August 23.

From left: Hon. E. Jay Saunders – Minister of Technology, Innovation and Energy; Hon. Jameka Taylor – Deputy Speaker of the House of Parliament; Adesha Gustave – the 2026 Miss International Turks and Caicos; and Hon. Rachel Marshall Taylor – Minister of Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

Now in its eighth year, the event provided students from kindergarten through high school with backpacks and age-appropriate school supplies.

Hon. Rachel Marshall-Taylor, Minister of Education, Youth, Sport and Culture and Member of Parliament for ED9, which encompasses Five Cays, South Dock and Chalk Sound, said organizers packed 800 backpacks for the initiative.

Each package also included a reusable shopping bag for parents. Backpacks were set aside for residents who were away and unable to attend the event.

Marshall-Taylor said she was pleased to see parents accompanying their children instead of simply sending them to collect the supplies.

“That made the experience a bit more worthwhile,” she said.

Families also enjoyed face painting, basketball, soccer and activities on the community center’s playground. Raffles offered laptops, iPads and other electronic devices to help students with their schoolwork. Gift certificates for beauty services and gasoline were also available to help families prepare for the new academic year.

A section of the massive turnout at the Felix Morley Community Centre in Five Cays, where the Member of Parliament Hon. Rachel Marshall-Taylor hosted the Back-to -School Treat on Sunday, August 23.

Marshall-Taylor said the event was made possible through donations and assistance from residents, businesses, community organizations, fellow parliamentarians and members of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force.

Food and refreshments were largely donated by residents of ED9, while local companies and civic organizations contributed drinks, prizes and other forms of support.

Minister of Innovation, Technology and Energy Hon. E. Jay Saunders and Hon. Jameka Williams, Deputy Speaker for the House of Parliament, along with Adesha Gustave, the 2026 winner of the Miss International Turks and Caicos Beauty Pageant assisted with handing our of gifts to the children.

Marshall-Taylor also thanked her parliamentary colleagues for contributing financially to the initiative and helping organizers increase its impact.

“I just want to say a special thank you to the residents of ED9 for making today’s event possible,” she said.