Dallas mayor wants more local businesses to help students

By Becky Mayad

Ever watched the coverage of the annual Mayor’s Back to School Fair and wanted to get involved? Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings is now recruiting businesses, organizations and individuals to help Dallas public school children by conducting a “Fill the Backpack” drive.

Deadline to sign up is June 15, and participants have the option to conduct a physical drive (where school supply lists are provided, and items are collected onsite) or an online drive (where backpacks with school supplies can be purchased).

Collected backpacks with supplies will be distributed at the Mayor’s Back to School Fair on August 3 at Fair Park. The Mayor’s Back to School Fair is an annual event providing Dallas students and families with essential back-to-school supplies, health screenings and services, and an array of information from educational, social, government and community organizations.

Each year the event provides around 15,000 Pre-K through 12th-grade children with school supplies.

Here’s how the “Fill the Backpack” drive works. Organizations or individuals participating in the physical drive are asked to set a collection goal of at least 50-100 backpacks filled with items from the required school supply list.

For organizations or groups participating in the online drive, there is no minimum donation requirement. Organizations and individuals hosting drives that collect or donate 100 or more backpacks will be recognized on the website, mayorsbacktoschoolfair.com, and in select printed materials.

Those wanting to host a physical “Fill the Backpack” Drive may download a school supply list. The deadline to drop off physical donations is July 19.

Those hosting an online “Fill the Backpack” drive may purchase backpacks with school supplies from the electronic portal. Backpacks with school supplies will be given out at the Mayor’s Back to School Fair to children in need. One backpack with school supplies is $16.65 plus tax. To learn more and to sign up, contact Angela Shellene at [email protected].