South Shore Community Engagement and Back to School Bash

Introduction

Kimi’s Ice Cream, a family-owned shop serving handmade ice cream with locally sourced ingredients for over 14 years, partnered with HOW PR to address a gap in community support ahead of the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 school seasons with no existing back-to-school events in the area.

Challenges

• Lack of Seasonal Community Programming: Prior to the event, there were no organized back-to-school activations or community support initiatives in the area, leaving families without a shared space to prepare for the upcoming school year.
• Limited Structured Community Engagement: While Kimi’s Ice Cream was well-loved locally, there was no large-scale event strategy in place to formally bring families, schools, and businesses together.
• Need to Activate Local Business Collaboration: Local businesses lacked a unifying platform to collaborate, cross-promote, and collectively serve families in a meaningful, organized way.
• Balancing Community Impact with Revenue Goals: The event needed to deliver genuine community value while also supporting business growth and increasing sales within a limited time frame.
• Creating a High-End, Family-Friendly Experience: Designing an event that felt polished, engaging, and inclusive—while remaining accessible to families of all backgrounds—required thoughtful planning and coordination.

Solutions

HOW PR designed and executed a strategic, family-friendly Back-to-School Bash that brought together more than 300 local families for a high-end, kid-focused community experience.

By activating partnerships with local businesses, including Sylvan Learning Centers, SmileLynn Dental, Victory Martial Arts, Precision Arboristry, and Bubbaques Barbecue, the event strengthened relationships among community stakeholders while delivering meaningful impact.

HOW PR leveraged local media, community calendars and social media platforms to generate buzz and garner community attendance.

‍

Project Results

Over 300 back-to-school supply kits were distributed free of charge, fostering goodwill and accessibility for families.

The two-hour activation significantly boosted ice cream sales, outperforming a typical full day of operation, while reinforcing Kimi’s Ice Cream as a trusted, community-centered neighborhood brand.