Backpack giveaway Saturday

Students in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls will benefit this weekend from a national backpack giveaway campaign.

Between noon and 3 p.m. Saturday, Verizon authorized retailers TCC and A Wireless stores are inviting local families to bring their children to the stores to pick up backpacks filled with pencils, paper, a pencil box, folders, glue and more.

The participating TCC stores in Coeur d’Alene are located at 430 W. Hanley Ave., and 1700 Northwest Blvd. and the store in Post Falls is located at 3760 E. Seltice Way. Each participating TCC store will donate 250 backpacks and each A Wireless store will donate 125 backpacks.

“Every year, TCC employees and communities around the country look forward to the backpack giveaway,” said Scott Moorehead, CEO of TCC. “It brings our employees immense joy to give back to the young children in their communities, and we are proud to put so many smiles on the faces of the deserving families who have made this annual event such a success.”

More than 1,300 participating TCC and A Wireless stores across the U.S. are participating. One backpack per child present will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

In 2015, the National Retail Federation predicted the average person with children in grades K-12 would spend $97.74 on school supplies. With more than 16 million children in the U.S. living in poverty, TCC is working to alleviate the rising costs of school supplies through this annual program.