Our schoolkids are invited to a party on Sunday.

Party favors include lots of goodies, like free — that is right — free, brand new backpacks and back to school supplies for all the region’s grade school pupils.

There will be yummy treats, like hot dogs, some fruit and a bit of ice cream.

And to sweeten the deal, organizers have arranged for your kid to get a free haircut, too. A free haircut? Yes, I said a free haircut.

That is what Sue Burge says and if Sue says it, you can take it to the bank.

The party, set for Sunday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., is at the Boothbay Region Y.

It is the fifth time our community has pulled together to make sure all our grade school kids, from pre-K to eighth grade, start the school year with all the pencils, paper, notebooks and other stuff they need to be ready to learn on the first day of school.

Sorry kids, summer fun is almost over because school starts Wednesday, Aug. 31.

For the last five years, Sue, the president of the Boothbay Region Community Resources Council, has been the “Queen Bee” of the event dubbed “Set for Success.”

Lots of people have good ideas for community  programs. The number of folks who suggest ideas and are willing to put them into practice is a lot smaller. Count Sue Burge in the latter category.

Now, she is the first to acknowledge she is not a one-woman band. The event comes together because of volunteers including the area churches, school administrators and teachers, service clubs and lots of other helpers.

And she has a special friend in Wiscasset who plays a big part.

“It is Big Al. He has been awesome,” she said. “He just loads up a shopping cart with stuff and puts it in my car,” said Sue.

Not guilty, said Big Al. “It is not me,” said the flamboyant owner of a variety store, and a fireworks outlet in Wiscasset.

When I asked the 30-year Wiscasset merchant, a guy known for his growling TV commercials and his stunning old Cadillac rag top, for his real name, he answered: “My first name is Big. My second name is Al.”

But, all joking aside, he wanted to make sure I understood this event is not about him.

“It is about the kids and Sue Burge. She is the angel. If it was not for Sue Burge, this would not happen,” he said.

Not only did Big Al donate some money and items for the event, he went even further.

A year or so ago, Sue stopped in his Wiscasset store when Big Al was in his office meeting with one of his vendors who was traveling with his wife.

“We told her about Sue’s ‘Set for Success’ program. After a while, we ganged up on the vendor’s wife and asked for her help. She turned to her husband and said, ‘Honey, we’ve got to help them out — RIGHT?’” said Big Al.

Of course, the vendor could not say no to his wife and he offered Sue a special deal. “He pledged to send her school supplies at cost. Not my cost, or wholesale or retail. at his cost,” said Big Al.

This week, Big Al will drive his truck over to the Boothbay Y and unload a ton of goodies for the kids.

On Saturday, volunteers will unpack the school stuff, including brand new backpacks. It will be set out for the grade school children. This year, the school supplies will include special graphing calculators for the seventh and eighth grade math students, some $900 worth of special pencils for grade schoolers and the usual gaggle of colored pencils, markers, notebooks, binders and Kleenex and other goodies specified by each teacher.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, the 400 or so students from Southport, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor and Edgecomb will  “go shopping.”

While they fill their backpacks with stuff specified by their teachers, their parents and grandparents will have a chance to visit booths offering special services for the kids, including eye checks, applications for the special school lunch programs and other social and special services.

“It is a chance for our community to show we want to take care of our kids,”said Sue, who has raised about $10,000 plus other donations this year.

Set for Success is an event for everyone. Every kid will get the same stuff so no one will feel left out.

“Tell all the folks to come see us.” And, oh yes, don’t forget to tell them it is free, said Sue.

Yes ma’am, consider it done.