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School is just around the corner, and several community groups joined forces Thursday to help Mason City students start the year off on the right foot.

A back-to-school block party featured free food, footwear and fun. Parents and kids lined up aroud the block at the Community Health Center, 404 N. Federal Ave., to join the festivities.

Students and families arriving before 3 p.m. to collect backpacks full of free school supplies, try on new shoes, play on inflatables, and enjoy hamburgers and baked beans provided by Hy-Vee.

The party featured more than 15 informational booths offering informative pamphlets, games, and free books from Friends of the Family, Mason City Police Department, North Iowa Impact Team, and others. Mason City Community Schools also had a tent wher

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