Back-to-school shopping is about to get a little less punishing for Lake County families. The Backpack Fund plans to hand out more than 500 backpacks filled with classroom essentials at four locations on Saturday, Aug. 15, with no pre-registration required.
The annual supply drop is aimed at families who need school supplies and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis, according to Cleveland.com. Families may pick up kits for their own children or for neighbors and friends, and each backpack includes items such as pencils, notebooks, art supplies and earbuds. At least 100 backpacks will be available at each stop.
Four Lake County Stops On Saturday
The schedule begins at Painesville Township Park from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by the Planet Fitness parking lot on Mentor Avenue from noon to 1 p.m. The drop continues at Morley Library from 2 to 3 p.m. and ends at Pine Ridge Plaza in Willoughby from 4 to 5 p.m.
The event is part of a longer-running local effort launched in 2020 by four Riverside High School graduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund’s published impact history shows that it distributed 552 backpacks in 2020, 709 in 2021 and 516 in 2022, according to The Backpack Fund’s impact page.
Over the past six years, the organization has distributed more than 3,000 school-supply kits to Lake County families. Its broader mission is to help students access the supplies and scholarships they need through community support, a goal outlined on The Backpack Fund’s website.
Families do not need to prove hardship or complete paperwork before arriving, but supplies will be handed out only while they last. Anyone planning to visit a specific stop should keep the first-come, first-served rule in mind and consider having a backup location in case a preferred time runs short.
