Supporting Utah's Refugee School Children

Ziham Aden, 11, and her sister Zuhaila Aden, 9, talk about which backpacks they should choose during Utah Refugee Connection’s annual back-to-school event at Granite Park Junior High School in South Salt Lake on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News

This week’s “Focus on Utah” highlights the generous efforts of Ken Garff employees who partnered with Utah Refugee Connection and Granite School District last week to outfit school children with backpacks and school supplies.

The event, held at Granite Park Junior High School in South Salt Lake, transformed into a fun back-to-school carnival for refugee families.

According to a press release from the organization, “Utah Refugee Connection hosts this carnival every year. The community rallies and provides all 2,000 of the backpacks and school supplies, and Ken Garff provides the carnival festivities for the families to enjoy.”

Here are some of the most striking photos from the event, captured by Deseret News photojournalist Brice Tucker.