The 25th iteration of an annual backpack giveaway, put on by Northern Kentucky Harvest, has been scheduled for this year on Aug. 9.
Previously called Backpacks and & Breakfast, the event, now dubbed the Backpack Bonanza, will take place in the parking lot of St. Elizabeth Healthcare’s Covington campus on James Simpson Jr. Way from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“Northern Kentucky Harvest, which started the project in 2001, will provide at least 1,250 backpacks this year stuffed with grade-appropriate school supplies,” according to a press release from the organization. “That’s 50 backpacks for each year the event has been held. This year’s backpacks will push the total number given away from the project to more than 19,000.”
Any preschool through 12th-grade student, whether enrolled in public, private or home schooling, is eligible to receive a backpack. They will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Papa John’s will provide food for the event.
“You give a kid a new backpack, and it’s amazing how that increases their excitement about the new school year,” said Northern Kentucky Harvest Board President Paul Gottbrath in the same release.
Families seeking backpacks must provide a photo identification for the parents, proof of Northern Kentucky residence, and, finally, medical or Social Security cards for the students.
