ARLINGTON — Presidents Elementary hosted Arlington’s first “Back2School” rally in 2010, and when the event returned Aug. 21, it offered a few improvements over previous years.

While families had previously congregated inside the school’s cafeteria/gymnasium to receive their instructions, often sweltering in the summer heat, the event’s organizers took attendance into account this year by placing the chairs outside.

“We’d just overgrown that space,” said Taunya Sanchez, one of the co-leaders of the Back2School rally, who reported that this year’s event received 672 pre-registrations, and had additional backpacks and school supplies for 150 walk-ups.

Sanchez estimated that last year might have seen 480 students take advantage of the giveaway.

To serve this increased number, she noted that this year’s rally not only had on-site representatives from PTSAs throughout the district, but also had booths staffed by Value Village, Camp Fire, Walmart Vision and Community Health Centers of Snohomish County.

“We’ve got health screenings, photo booths, bouncy houses, food vendors and raffle prizes ranging from Visa gift cards and Avon baskets to bikes and tickets to Silverwood,” Sanchez said. “We’ve really expanded our resources.”

Sanchez attributes the event’s growth to the fact that organizers spent a year planning for the rally, as opposed to the usual six months they’ve spent previously.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Arlington schools superintendent Chrys Sweeting told the families seated in the grassy fields of Presidents Elementary. “I’ve only been here since July, but I’ve already learned that Arlington has a big heart, and I see that today in all of you.”

Speaking as a mom of six kids, Sweeting sympathized with the struggles of raising a large family, and asserted that this makes it important that schools support families in need.

Brianna Johnson, the children’s pastor at the Arlington Assembly of God Church, has served as one of the rally’s co-leaders since its inception.

She praised the businesses and other community groups that have supported the event, and told the children that they should aspire to be like pencils in four ways.

“Like a pencil, you’ll be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourselves to be held,” Johnson said. “At times, you might feel a painful sharpening, but this will make you better. What’s most important about you is on the inside, so don’t compromise it. And you should leave your mark on every surface, so choose wisely what sort of mark you’ll leave.”

After Everett AquaSox baseball mascot Webley helped with a countdown, the families lined up to receive their free supplies donated by many in the community. Many of the volunteers who fetched their backpacks were schoolchildren themselves, including Genesis Fuik, Cadence Roque and Jamie Peters.

For mom Mireya Novoa, this marked her family’s first year attending the rally. While daughter Daisy, 12, is headed to Haller Middle School, sons Angel and Noah, 8 and 10 respectively, are returning to Presidents Elementary.

“It would have been very hard for us to make ends meet otherwise,” said Novoa, as Angel, clad in a Batman baseball cap and T-shirt, gushed over receiving a matching backpack. “I’ve seen how parents struggle who don’t have the finances or other resources to afford school supplies have had to start the year empty-handed.”

While her children enjoyed meeting their classmates at the rally, Novoa considered which of the other on-site resources she wanted to take advantage of first.

“How about a snow cone?” Angel suggested.

“That’s not a resource,” Novoa laughed.