ALACHUA– Students at three Alachua schools received new backpacks through a donation from Coca-Cola as the community helped children prepare for the start of the 2026-27 school year.
Backpacks were distributed to students at W.W. Irby Elementary School, Alachua Elementary School and A.L. Mebane Middle School, providing students with a back-to-school essential as they returned to classrooms this week.
Assisting with the distribution were Alachua Chamber of Commerce representative Kyla Frye; Gib Coerper, representing both the Chamber and the Alachua Lions Club; and Coca-Cola representative Eric Lewis and members of his team.
The donation came as Alachua County Public Schools welcomed students back Monday, Aug. 10, for the first day of the 2026-27 school year.
The backpack distribution was one of several community efforts in Alachua surrounding the beginning of the school year, with local businesses, civic organizations and community groups working to provide students with supplies they need in the classroom.
Mebane Middle School publicly thanked Coca-Cola for its backpack donation as students prepared for the new school year.
The involvement of the Chamber and Lions Club also brought together business and civic representatives with Coca-Cola employees to get the donated backpacks into the hands of local students.
For families, the backpacks offered a practical contribution at a time of year when school supplies can add to household expenses. For the participating organizations, the distribution provided an opportunity to support students at schools throughout the Alachua community as they began another academic year.
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