Local businesses helping students get back-to-school ready

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some Verizon stores held their annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway on Sunday. Each store gave away backpacks and had other events for kids of all ages.

In Leawood, the Leawood Fire Department was giving tours of their fire engine.

In Gardner, there were snow cones, pizza and face painting.

“Every year I’m here and I see kids happy to be involved and get started in school,” said Verizon District Manager, Tara Carmack.

“It’s all in the name of good. It’s for anybody in the community.”

This is the 12th year of the backpack giveaway. Carmack told us that after Sunday, they will have given out nearly 2 million backpacks to kids across the country. When we arrived in Gardner, only an hour after the event started, they had already run out of free backpacks, having given out more than 100 in under an hour.

Sending kids back to school can be an expensive task for families.

“Most households spend about $1,000 on school supplies,” Carmack told Fox4.

“When you have a family of two or three kids, that is a lot of money, is a lot of hardship on American families. And we just want to try to ease some of that.”

The parents we spoke to agreed.

“Yeah, it really is,” said Danielle, who’s 3 kids left with free backpacks.

“It takes the burden off, you know, especially when you have so many children too.”

The kids we spoke with were mostly excited to return to school.

“Oh, yeah. I’m ready to go back to school,” said high school sophomore, Tommy Campbell.

“To see my friends, play football and I love school and it’s fun.” Parents, on the other hand, might be more excited than the students.

“We’re just looking forward to going back to school. I know they’re excited,” said Danielle.

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