Give BACKpacks Campaign Strikes Big

By Allie Pino ’15

The MCPS Give BACKpacks campaign worked very hard to raise funds to purchase backpacks filled with school supplies for students in need, which were distributed at the start of the 2014-2015 school year. To date, the district has raised approximately $153,000 and provided more than 17,000 backpacks to students at 43 MCPS schools.

MCPS has already received a substantial amount of donations from hundreds of parents, staff and community members, as well as businesses, organizations and foundations. The top 5 largest donations this year came from the Educational Systems Federal Credit Union-$25,000, Kits for Kidz-$25,000, Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA)- $8,000, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.- $7,500, and Capital One Bank- $6,500.

Those who donated could donate at giving levels, so they could reach out to more students. Donators could give to a Cluster, a $25,000 donation that provides backpacks to a high school, middle school and elementary school in the same community, a School, a $6,500 donation that provides backpacks filled with school supplies to an MCPS school, a Grade Level, a $1,500 donation that provides backpacks filled with school supplies to an MCPS grade, a Classroom, a $300 donation that provides backpacks filled with school supplies to an MCPS class or a Student, a $10 donation that provides a backpack filled with school supplies to an MCPS student.

Last year, MCPS raised over $100,000 and nearly 15,000 students received backpacks filled with school supplies. The increase in donations shows how this campaign is only going to grow stronger and improve an ample amount of students’ academic lives.