SOUTHERN COLORADO — Donations are still needed to help thousands of kids in our community be ready for the upcoming school year.
The non-profit, CosILoveyou is gearing up for the annual Backpack Bash. Joby Gains is coordinating the massive giveaway.
"We give out 12-thousand backpacks filled with school supplies right before the school year begins and all thanks to the faithfulness of our community," said Gains.
Backpack Bash is an annual collaborative effort involving more than 70 local churches, businesses, nonprofits, and school and government partners to support thousands of families across El Paso County.
Every student receives a free backpack with new school supplies, and families get to interact with all kinds of organizations built to support them year-round.
"It's no secret that there's going to be a need no matter where you go and Colorado Springs is no exception. What we really want is students to be able to enter the school year confidently and they have a backpack and school supplies and go in and do well," said Gains.
Donated supplies are being accepted through July 17. There are dozens of drop off locations including places like Walmart where a dedicated Backpack Bash bin sits at the front of the store.
The Backpack Bash happens on two consecutive Saturdays to allow for more accessibility.
Saturday, July 29
- Southeast – Panorama Park – 4540 Fenton Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80916
- East – Vista Ridge High School – 6888 Black Forest Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80923
- Widefield – Grand Mountain School – 11060 Fontaine Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80925
- Fountain – Fountain YMCA – 326 West Alabama Ave Fountain, CO 80817
Saturday, August 5
- Monument – Woodmen Valley Chapel: Monument Campus – 1681 Wagon Bow Way, Colorado Springs, CO 80132
- Central – Doherty High School – 4515 Barnes Rd, Colorado Springs, CO 80917
- Downtown – Hillside Community Center – 925 S Institute St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
As students make their way through the lines, they get to pick out a backpack to match their personality filled with exactly what they need for the year. The massive effort from our community is about much more than freebies, as Gaines points out.
"This is so families can feel connected to their community not just right before the school year begins but throughout the year, they know there's people in their corner that want to support them," said Gaines.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
