By DUANE SCHRAG

Salina Journal

Declaring that "school is fun" isn't what most children do voluntarily.

But with a little prompting, that's what many who stopped by the Consumer Credit Counseling Service booth did. They promptly were rewarded with a ballpoint pen, a pause that gave the parent with them a chance to pick up tips on how to cope with the ever-rising cost of living.

The occasion was the 2008 Back to School Fair. Saturday's annual event -- organized by the Salina Area United Way -- was held from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the Bicentennial Center.

"We've seen an increase in the number of people stopping in to ask about our service," said Shara McMichael, director of education for the counseling service. "I got here at five till 12, and there were people waiting to get in."

The fair is open to anyone, but it offers something extra for low-income families: students who qualified for free or reduced lunches when they registered for the 2008-09 school year could pick up free school supplies at the fair if they requested them at registration.

"We gave all 1,500 backpacks out," said Marcia Demuth, who organized the fair for United Way.

The arena floor was crowded with booths, not all of which would ordinarily be associated with school activities. The city of Salina's household hazardous waste program had a booth, for instance.

"We're trying to outreach to more families," explained Chris Slubowski, the program's coordinator. It's the first year the program has had a booth at the fair. "A lot of people don't know about us yet."

One of the longest lines was for free hair trims, courtesy of Jessica's Salon.

Another long line snaked past the sign directing people to free evaluations for depression, but it turns out the line was for free popcorn; the mental health booth, just beyond, had no waiting visitors.

But mental health is a serious issue for many families, said Debra Byarlay, public information coordinator for the Central Kansas Mental Heath Center.

"Part of our mission is to make sure people are aware mental health problems are real and treatable," she said. The center has a booth at the fair every year, and on Saturday had two therapists available to do free screenings.

For the Smoky Hill Museum, the fair is a natural fit, said curator Lisa Upshaw.

"This is all about kids and families," she said. "It's what we do."

Many students have visited the museum during field trips, but their parents may not be as familiar with what it has to offer or know that it is free, she said.

"(The fair) is a great meet-and-greet opportunity," she said.

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