Henrico back-to-school kickoff doubles backpack giveaway to 3,000

Families flocked to Henrico County Public Schools' third annual back-to-school kickoff, where organizers handed out 3,000 backpacks to students on Saturday.

The free event at the Henrico Sports and Events Center offered families backpacks filled with school supplies, a vaccination clinic, free haircuts, inflatables, a dunk tank, a mobile bowling alley and carnival games — all designed to send students into the new school year ready to learn.

Chris Wade, who works in community engagement and partnership for HCPS' Division of Family and Community Engagement, said planning for the event begins months in advance.

"We start planning in December, January, really thinking about how we want to execute this year," Wade said. "This year we decided to make the event as engaging as possible, try to make it more family-oriented, community-oriented and really make people wanna stay all day."

Last year, the event drew about 5,000 people and gave away 1,500 backpacks in three hours. Wade said organizers increased the supply this year knowing demand would be high.

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