All packed up: Operation Backpack a success

It’s back-to-school time for many American boys and girls and countless other children throughout the world. That means it’s also time to get out school-supplies lists, get back in shape for the school sports team, practice the instrument, and, of course, finish up that last-minute shopping. But what happens to the children whose parents simply don’t have enough money to buy any of the items on their lists? Will they return to school empty-handed and unprepared?

Not if a handful of Malverne residents can help it. Jon Gotimer and members of his organization, Project HOTSHOTS, or Helping Others Through Sports Have Outstanding Tomorrows, comes to the rescue. The charity has been providing school supplies, art materials and sports equipment to thousands of underprivileged children and teens globally for the last five years.

While it collects and ships supplies year-round, it’s biggest collection event is Operation Backpack, held once every summer. This year’s event, Operation: 5,000 Backpacks 2010, was held on Aug. 14 at the Howard T. Herber Middle School in Malverne. Dozens of people attended, waiting in long lines for their chance to fill backpacks with notebooks, pens, erasers, dictionaries, folders and other school supplies.

Using donations from various organizations and businesses, Gotimer, his wife, Yolanda, three children and numerous volunteers — including Malverne Village Mayor Patricia McDonald and Deputy Mayor Jim Callahan, and Malverne Fire Department Chief Daniel Morgan — filled some 2,500 backpacks in less than three hours. The team expects to fill another 1,500 backpacks later this winter, and store everything in a donated space in West Hempstead until it is ready to be distributed.

Despite the current state of the economy, Gotimer remained satisfied with the influx of donations received for Operation Backpack. “We try to do it bigger and better every year,” he said. “It’s more difficult in a tough economy, so we have to persevere and just work harder. ...We have to make donating enticing to people.”

But, the Gotimers said it’s about more than donating: it’s also about instilling the value of charity in young children and creating a family dialogue about the importance of giving back. “That’s really our mission, for families to have that dialogue,” Yolanda Gotimer said. “It’s wonderful how people are willing to put the hard work, the time, the energy into seeing HOTSHOTS succeed. They see the importance of the charity.”

For more information about Project H.O.T.S.H.O.T.S., Operation Backpack, event sponsors and Jon Gotimer, or to volunteer and donate, visit projecthotshots.org.