Local Business Gives Away Backpacks

It’s almost time for kids to head back to school but do you have all the supplies before the first day?

One local business is stepping up and helping families fulfill that need.
 
Children of Hope Childcare Preschool held its third annual backpack giveaway.

Organizers say it’s important to give every kid in the area a chance to succeed in school and a backpack can do just that.
 
“It’s really really important. I probably couldn’t get them a backpack this year. My daughter just had surgery and I haven’t been able to work so it’s really good they have something like this to help people out,” says Selena Golden of Moorhead.
 
Golden is a mother of three.

This is her first year and she made sure she was near the front of the line.

Now her daughter Shelby is looking forward to showing off her new bag.
 
And by the looks of many kids, you’d think that it was Christmas morning.
 
“I just looked at the one that I really wanted then I picked it,” says first grader Anna Sauvageau.
 
Going through backpacks to find the perfect one isn’t easy but they all serves the same purpose.
 
“Cause we need something to hold their school supplies,” says Sauvageau.
 
200 backpacks and it costs nothing to parents.

Even though this is free, organizers say they just wanted to pay it forward.
 
“To be honest with you it warms my heart. That’s why we do it. I feel like everybody should find some way to give back and this is Children’s of Hope way of giving back to the community,” says Children of Hope Childcare Preschool Co-founder Hope Holman.
 
Thanks to Children of Hope, hundreds of kids are ready to hit the books.

“Thank you very much for the help. I really appreciate it,” says Golden.
 
Organizers collect backpacks throughout the year and say they could not have done this without volunteers and donations.