Thousands of Boston Public Schools students filled TD Garden this week, walking away with new backpacks, winter coats, and free dental and vision checkups just weeks before the first day of class. Volunteers distributed more than 3,500 supplies with the help of over 250 volunteers, according to organizer Justin Cross, as the arena hosted its 15th Annual Back-to-School Celebration.
The event was hosted by TD Garden, TD Bank, The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division, and the City of Boston, marking 15 consecutive years of the program, according to BostonBruins.com. Over that span, the initiative has provided more than 56,000 backpacks and over $600,000 in local financial support. As reported by Boston 25 News, which sponsored the celebration, backpacks distributed at the event were stuffed with school supplies and back-to-school books, and students also received new winter coats.
Bruins Players Join the High-Five Line
Boston Bruins forwards Tanner Jeannot and Alex Steeves attended, handing out filled backpacks and joining students for floor hockey and basketball games on the arena floor. Bruins players also greeted students in a high-five line, per the outlet's reporting. Steeves said seeing the students' excitement made him feel good and like he was making a difference.
Ja'Dazrya Turner said the event helps people who cannot afford school expenses, while Imani Ferdinand said school is very expensive. Wanita Jackson said her grandchildren were happy to receive supplies, backpacks, and a winter coat. Major Paul Cornell said many families must choose between buying school supplies and paying bills, a tension organizers say the annual giveaway is designed to ease.
A $15,000 Grant for Arts Education
Beyond the physical giveaways, organizers presented a $15,000 grant check to support the Boston Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts department, the station reported, and the Boston Public Schools Visual and Performing Arts department received the donation as part of the event. Medical and dental professionals also set up temporary clinics on the arena's upper concourse, giving attending children on-site dental checkups and vision exams alongside the supply distribution, according to BostonBruins.com. Boston 25 News also brought a mobile weather center to TD Garden as part of its coverage of the celebration.
The timing matters for families across the district. Boston Public Schools students in grades 1 through 12 are set to begin the 2026–2027 academic year on September 8, with Pre-K and kindergarten students reporting two days later, according to the district calendar.
Rising Costs Strain Boston Households
The celebration lands against a backdrop of mounting financial pressure for families nationwide. The National Retail Federation projected total U.S. back-to-school spending for K–12 students would reach a record $43.3 billion for the 2026 school year, up from $39.4 billion in 2025. American families with children in elementary through high school planned to spend an average of $863.86 on back-to-school purchases this year, up from $858.07 in 2025, and 47% of shoppers nationwide said they planned to buy only basic essential items before classes start, staggering remaining purchases to manage tight budgets.
Those pressures hit especially hard in Boston, where low-income student enrollment in Boston Public Schools has grown by 20% over the past decade, making low-income households the district's primary demographic constituency, according to CommonWealth Beacon. The City of Boston designated a $1.58 billion operating budget for the district this fiscal year to serve roughly 50,000 students, a $53.4 million increase over the prior year.
The TD Garden event is one of several efforts around the city this month aimed at easing that burden; Celtics star Jaylen Brown recently threw a free block party with its own school supply distribution. TD Garden and its partners have run similar drives in past years, including events covered by Hoodline in 2024 and 2025 that outfitted students with supplies through partnerships involving the Boston Police Department and The Salvation Army.
