More than 500 local students receive backpacks and school supplies at Back 2 School Giveaway.
ALACHUA – More than 500 local students headed into the new school year better prepared after receiving free backpacks and school supplies during the Alachua Police Department’s annual Back 2 School Giveaway on Saturday at Legacy Park.
The three-hour community event, held from 9 a.m. to noon, brought together city departments, local businesses, health care providers and nonprofit organizations to provide students with backpacks filled with school supplies, along with free food, bicycle helmets, child fingerprinting kits and safety education.
Each child who received a backpack also received a free kids pizza voucher from Blaze Pizza. Organizers limited the giveaway to one backpack per child, with children required to be present.
The annual event is designed to ease the financial burden on families while strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the community before the start of the school year.
“This year, we distributed more than 500 backpacks to local students as they prepare for the new school year,” the Alachua Police Department said following the event.
In addition to school supplies, families received bicycle helmets, water and swimming safety information and free fingerprinting identification kits for children.
The event was made possible through donations and volunteer efforts from numerous community partners. Just Between Friends of Gainesville hosted the event and coordinated food preparation, while Dollar General Distribution Center donated the school supplies packed inside the backpacks. Sysco donated food for attendees, Palms Medical Group contributed 50 backpacks and school supplies, and Safe Kids North Central Florida provided bicycle helmets and educational materials focused on bicycle and water safety.
Organizers also recognized the volunteers whose work began well before families arrived Saturday morning.
“We also want to recognize the many people who worked behind the scenes,” the department said. “From packing backpacks before the event to preparing and cooking the food, your efforts may not have always been visible, but they played an important role in making the day a success.”
The department thanked the businesses, organizations and individuals who contributed to the event’s success.
“Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered, attended and helped us provide more than 500 local students with supplies for a successful school year.”
Prior to the event, organizers invited businesses and residents to sponsor additional backpacks and thanked community partners including Just Between Friends of Gainesville, Sysco, Dollar General and Blaze Pizza for supporting the effort.
The giveaway has become an annual tradition in Alachua, bringing together police officers, city staff, volunteers and local organizations in an effort to ensure students begin the school year with the supplies they need while creating positive interactions between first responders and area families.
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