Hundreds of Yakima students receive backpacks, school supplies on first day of school

YAKIMA, Wash. — The first day of school at Hoover Elementary in the Yakima School District came with a special surprise for hundreds of students, thanks to the Yakima Downtown Rotary Club.

Over 600 children received backpacks filled with school supplies, and the club also provided necessary supplies for the school’s 28 teachers.

Rotary officials collaborated with the Yakima School District to identify Hoover Elementary as the school most in need.

"94% of the children that go to Hoover Elementary are at or below poverty level. and so we realized that investing in backpacks and school supplies will help those families meet their other needs," said James Degrasse, President of Yakima Downtown Rotary.

The club is gearing up for their next project, Operation Harvest, which will take place in October.The annual initiative will focus on collecting food for local food banks.

Community members interested in participating are encouraged to begin stocking up on food donations now.

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