Free backpacks available to Florence, San Tan Valley kids

FUSD Community Education and the Pappas Kids Schoolhouse Foundation are taking reservations for their Seventh Annual Backpack Event for students in Florence and San Tan Valley.

There are 2,500 K-12 backpacks filled with school supplies available to families in the community.

The Florence Unified School District has 10 schools in the San Tan Valley.

Parents interested in getting backpacks for their children must register for a time slot. Each time slot is broken up into 30-minute increments and parents and children can show up anytime during their assigned time slots. Families will not be allowed to pick up a backpack outside of their registered times.

Each family will only need to sign up for one time slot regardless of how many backpacks are needed. Students must be present to receive a backpack.

The backpack event takes place:

• 10 a.m.-noon, Thursday June 27
• 4-6 p.m., Friday June 28
• 9-11 a.m., Saturday June 29

The backpacks will be distributed at the FUSD Community Education Offices, 29895 N. Desert Willow Blvd., San Tan Valley.

To reserve a time slot, visit https://bit.ly/3z0oLq4 .

The Pappas Kids Schoolhouse Foundation’s mission is to help low-income, homeless and at-risk youth in Arizona schools succeed and grow in a positive educational environment, its website states. It partners with schools and agencies that serve disadvantaged youth and assists with the educational, social and family needs of  students.