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Photo Gallery : Foothill Unity Center Giveaway ARCADIA - At the start of last school year, Terry Valadez spent $1,000 on basic school supplies - pens, pencils and paper, clothing and shoes - for her five children. And although it was a struggle to save that much, things are even tougher this year, she said. Her husband became unemployed, and Valadez fretted over how she would pay for back-to-school shopping for her four sons and one daughter, the eldest of whom is starting high school this year and the youngest entering kindergarten. "I was worried, but I knew that God would provide and another window would open," she said. On Thursday, Valadez's children joined 1,350 other area children at Foothill Unity Center's annual Back to School Distribution event at the Santa Anita Park. The project provides new school supplies and clothing, including uniforms, underwear, shoes and socks, to kindergarten-through 12th-graders from low-income families in Altadena, Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena. "This is good and will last a few months," Valadez said, settling on a pair of blue slacks for 11-year-old son David. "The backpacks are so expensive now." Backpacks, along with school uniforms, were in big demand at the giveaway, which drew a record number of children and trumped the 1,000 children who came last year. Like dozens of other children at the distribution, Valadez's kids all got free haircuts, too, although Gabriel, her eldest, wasn't too pleased with results. "It is too short," he said. "I wanted it to stick out more." Joan Whitenack, executive director of Foothill Unity Center, said Thursday's event was the best in the 10 years the nonprofit has organized the distribution. Only two weeks ago, donations of money and school supplies were running so low that Whitenack worried not every child would receive a complete set of supplies. She estimated at that time organization was short about $40,000. But in the last few weeks and days, the center received donations covering about 85 percent the deficit. "Kids have no control over what they start the year with," Whitenack said. "I know how important it is emotionally for children to start the school year with new clothing and items. They are the ones who benefit." Families who came to the distribution also rely on the nonprofit charities for food and other resources. Many of those families often have little money left over for school supplies, she said. With her new purple backpack, school supplies and even new books to read, Teresa Zarazua, 13, said she is ready to start school. This was the first year Zarazua, who will be in the eighth-grade at Washington Middle School in Pasadena, attended the event. Last year she shopped at the mall for clothes. But she said the selection of T-shirts and other clothing items at the distribution were "really cool." "I really like it," said Zarazua. "I am sure I will be back next year." caroline.an@sgvn.com (626) 578-6300, Ext. 4494 www.insidesocal.com /hallwaymonitor read less