Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens used his 35th annual community boil on Friday, July 24, to announce a slate of Sheriff's Office programs and a back-to-school giveaway that will put 3,000 backpacks, free physicals, and a $1,000 scholarship into the hands of Cobb students and teachers.

More than 400 people packed the Jim Miller Park event center in Marietta for the Low Country Shrimp Boil, which doubles as a celebration of community-law enforcement ties and a campaign fundraiser. Ticket revenue supports Owens' reelection bid, though Owens told the Marietta Daily Journal that some funds also go toward community events.

During his speech, Owens outlined accomplishments at the Sheriff's Office: all deputies have received training for interacting with children with autism, the agency created a new GED program, and parenting classes and Father's Day and Mother's Day programming now serve detainees at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

"I think, as the sheriff, I'm not just the sheriff of one party, I'm the sheriff of all. So I have to be open to everybody in this community. When people file a police report or call 911, we don't ask what party they belong to, we're just there to service them," Owens said.

The tradition dates to 1991, when then-Sheriff Bill Hutson started a corn boil. Owens transitioned it to a shrimp boil in 2022. Former state Sen. Lindsey Tippins, R-west Cobb, has volunteered to boil the corn every year since that first gathering. This year his son and two grandsons helped him at the kettles.

Ahead of the dinner, volunteers smoked chicken and hot dogs while inflatables and tables were set up inside. The crowd included Jeriene Bonner-Willis, president of the Cobb NAACP, and first-time attendee Keira Sims, a lifelong Cobb resident who said she came to support the sheriff and be part of the community.

Owens also gave political candidates two minutes at the microphone. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, Shawn Harris (Democratic candidate for Georgia's 14th Congressional District), and several other statewide and local candidates addressed the crowd. In her remarks, Bottoms referenced a visit by President Donald Trump to a Cobb County high school on Thursday, July 23.

The Sheriff's Office Back-to-School Cobb Bash is scheduled for Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jim Miller Park. In addition to the 3,000 backpacks, Owens said the event will offer five TVs, 10 bicycles, free haircuts, gift cards for teachers, and the scholarship. Entry is free, and registration is available at zeffy.com.