Las Vegas police are getting into the record-book spirit this summer, planning to hand out 15,000 backpacks at the Thomas & Mack Center in a back-to-school blitz they are billing as a world record attempt. The event, called Pack the Mack, is set for July 30 and will bring together the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Office of Community Engagement with a broad mix of nonprofits, small businesses and corporate partners. Families who show up can pick up backpacks and school supplies, along with on-site health and resource services.
Record Bid And Who Is Involved
The 15,000-backpack target and the world record angle came out of FOX5’s "Behind the Badge" segment, which highlighted Pack the Mack as a single massive giveaway rather than a slow drip of donations. The report said organizers expect more than 100 nonprofits, businesses and corporate partners to join forces at the event, according to FOX5. The idea is to pool resources on one day so more students walk away ready for the first bell.
Big Donor And Event Basics
The Richard Harris Law Firm has signed on as the headline donor, pledging 10,000 of the 15,000 backpacks for the first-ever Pack the Mack, according to a firm press release describing its partnership with LVMPD and the Behind the Blue Foundation. For the nuts and bolts, LVMPD’s events calendar lists Pack the Mack for July 30 from 8 a.m. to noon at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center, with the department’s Office of Community Engagement named as lead organizer; see LVMPD for the official calendar entry.
What Families Will Find On-Site
Organizers say the backpacks will come pre-packed with school supplies, and families will be able to tap into a menu of services on location, including sports physicals, dental exams, haircuts, food and other community resources. Local coverage also notes that Metro has been distributing backpacks across its area commands in the run-up to the big day, following a broader schedule that KTNV outlined while covering the department’s back-to-school push.
How Pack The Mack Fits In
Metro and the LVMPD Foundation have already been in the backpack game on a smaller scale. The foundation recently helped officers and volunteers assemble and hand out packs as part of ongoing school-readiness efforts, according to the LVMPD Foundation. Pack the Mack is essentially that same community-engagement playbook, just blown up into one high-volume distribution day.
How To Show Up
Pack the Mack is scheduled for July 30 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Thomas & Mack Center. Families are encouraged to check Metro’s event page closer to the date for details on partners, parking and any eligibility guidelines. For a deeper look at how the drive is coming together and who is involved, see FOX5 and the department calendar at LVMPD.
Organizers say concentrating everything into one morning at Thomas & Mack will let scores of nonprofits and sponsors reach thousands of students in a single shot. Updates on event rules and volunteer opportunities are expected as Metro and its partners release more information.
