HOUSTON – With the first day of school around the corner, Reliant and the Houston Rockets are joining forces to help families get ready. The two organizations will host their fourth annual Back-to-School Bash on Friday, July 31, aiming to serve up to 1,000 students with backpacks and school supply kits for the 2026–27 school year.
- When: Friday, July 31, 2026, 4–7 p.m.
- Where: Sunnyside Community Center, 3502 W. Bellfort Ave., Houston, TX 77051
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The event mixes practical services with a festival atmosphere. Along with supply distribution, families can access free health and dental checkups and student-focused grooming services, including haircuts and stops at a nail spa bus.
Basketball fans will also find plenty to do. Rockets staff are set to run a basketball clinic, and the event is expected to feature appearances from former Houston basketball standouts Cynthia Cooper and Rafer Alston, who will help welcome families and support students during the giveaway.
Organizers say the afternoon is designed to feel more like a neighborhood celebration than a standard drive-through distribution. The site will include inflatables, face painting, snacks, interactive activity stations and other kid-friendly attractions. Students will also be able to pick out and keep a book from the Curiosity Cruiser, a mobile library effort tied to the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation and the Houston Public Library.
The bash is part of a broader NRG back-to-school push happening across multiple cities, with employee volunteer events focused on school readiness and other community needs.