Coaler DRIVE prepares for upcoming Back to School Bash

There have been many events and programs around Coal City the last year that come from Coaler DRIVE, including the upcoming Back to School Bash.

The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 26 at Campbell Park, 580 S. Broadway St.

Families that live within the district are invited to visit for free activities including a bicycle, scooter and skateboard obstacle course and rodeo, a foam party, hot dog lunch, ice cream truck, inflatables, a petting zoo, school supply giveaway, and appearances from Bears mascot Staley and Chicago Wolves mascot “Skates.”

Tammy Moran, who serves with Carly Koehn on the Festival and Events Action Team, said Coaler DRIVE came out of a mapping session the Village of Coal City held in 2024.

“It’s a community organization of volunteers who get together, and we’ve identified six different points that the community was concerned about for the future of Coal City,” Moran said. “One of those things is they want our particular area to have more events and festivals.”

The points are spelled out within the name DRIVE: It stands for Development, Restoration, Innovation, Vitality and Empowerment.

Moran said there are different people from within the community volunteering to make Coal City a better place, business owners, community members, families, and many who just live in the city.

“There’s a lot you find out that you didn’t know about your community before you got involved,” Moran said. “When you’re a small community, everyone has their little areas, so volunteering put it all together and opened lines of communication that weren’t there previously.”

Koehn said they had more time to put together this year’s event, and while things are staying similar to last year, they kept what worked, and they’re hoping for a good turnout.

“The idea is to keep stuff in the community so people don’t have to leave Coal City, necessarily, to do things,” Koehn said.

Moran said Coaler DRIVE could always use more volunteers, and the way to step up is to call the Village of Coal City at 815-634-8608.

“What’s great about our event is the teachers come and volunteer,” Moran said. “The kids get to see the teachers outside of school, and you know, see them helping. It makes a big impression on them.”

The Back to School Bash is for students who live in the Coal City school district and attend Coal City schools.