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Overcast Green Acres back-to-school backpack drive benefits bevy of students
As families struggle with the cost of living on Long Island, the Green Acres Mall and a host of volunteers came together last weekend to take away some of the stress of back-to-school shopping.
A thousand backpacks, packed by volunteers at the mall, were given away on Saturday and Sunday. The packers included PTA members and Girl Scouts, among others.
“This is a larger quantity than what we’ve done before, but we felt that the need was here,” Jill Bromberg, the mall’s marketing manager, said. “I didn’t have a single bag left at the end of the day.”
Each day of the mall’s second annual Back to School Bash, 250 backpacks were handed out. The event also offered family fun, as kids were entertained by a variety show, dance parties, glitter tattoos, face painting and balloon art.
“It was awesome — a lot of people came up to me and told me how happy they were,” Bromberg said. “Because not only did they get backpacks, they were entertained and the kids had fun.”
Several other organizations gave away the other 500 backpacks stuffed with the must-haves provided by the mall. The Gateway Christian Center, in Valley Stream, was given 150 bags to give away on Saturday. The center has done several backpack giveaways over the years, but this year it didn’t have to supply them because they were donated by the mall.
“Every time we (gave away backpacks) we were able to see participation from different demographic groups in the community who usually don’t come into a church,” the Christian Center’s pastor, the Rev. Sunny Philip, said.
The event at the center also featured family-friendly events including a barbecue, live music, raffles, a waterslide and face painting.
Participants were asked to register before picking up a backpack to ensure that no one would leave empty-handed if supplies ran out. More than 100 people preregistered for the giveaway.
Both events were cosponsored by Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages’ office after the mall reached out to her to collaborate on advertising for the giveaways. Interns from Solages’ office also helped stuff the backpacks at the mall.
“We work with these groups because it’s so important that students are provided with not only the basic tools that they need for school, but also encouraged to celebrate this new year and new opportunities to excel,” Solages said.
For anyone who missed out on the giveaways, a Back in School giveaway and auto show will be held at UBS Arena on Sept. 10, from noon to 5 p.m. People are asked to register for the backpack giveaway online beforehand, but all are welcome to enjoy the activities.
“At this time, especially when we’re talking about a time when there’s an affordability crisis and every dollar counts for families, we want to make sure that when a family comes to the event, they’re provided with a backpack,” Solages said. “We don’t want to turn anyone away.”
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