There aren’t many smiles on Syracuse’s impoverished south side these days, but UUPer Dawn Leadley wore one as she supervised volunteers early on an August Saturday, hours before Mary Nelson’s annual Youth Day barbecue was set to begin.

There would be lots of smiles that day.

Leadley was one of more than 400 volunteers who grilled hot dogs, packed snow cones and handed out free school supplies for thousands of neighborhood students and parents who attended the yearly Saturday giveaway, held Aug. 21. This was her sixth year volunteering for Youth Day.

“You hear testimonials from parents and teachers about the kids who register (for school supplies), that they barely have a shirt on or they have holes in their shoes, let alone their school supplies,” said Leadley, a member of the Upstate Medical University (UMU) Chapter. “This is a great cause.”

More than 15,000 students in pre-kindergarten through college registered to receive backpacks, computers and other supplies donated by area businesses and organizations this year; that’s 6,000 more students than last year. The ninth-annual party included a parade, a barbecue, dancing, carnival games and more—all of it at no charge to participants.

“I do whatever I can each year, including serving cotton candy and supervising the moonwalk (contest),” said Leadley, who works with Nelson at UMU and got involved after hearing about Youth Day.

Over the years, Leadley has helped to secure donations for the event, and has handled everything from registration to handing out the supplies.

Still, it’s not difficult for Leadley to see past the sticky, cotton-candy smiles and recognize the stark reality that is life for more than a few of these kids.

“One year, an eight-year-old boy showed up alone to pre-register for (supplies),” said Leadley. “He had walked from the city’s north side to the south side because he couldn’t wake up his mother and he was afraid that he wouldn’t get his backpack.”

Without the barbecue, many of these students would go to school without notebooks, pencils and backpacks. That’s one of the reasons why Leadley has made a point to stay involved, she said.

“It’s such a nice event,” she said.

— Michael Lisi