Back-to-School Bash: Sun Youth Distributes 800 Backpacks to Local Families

While August often signals the end of summer and the return to school for many, for Sun Youth, it marks the kickoff of their largest annual backpack initiative.

This year, the organization took a new and exciting approach by hosting its very first Back-to-School Bash, an event aimed at supporting families and inspiring children for the year ahead.

The event welcomed families with children in grades one through eleven who are clients of Sun Youth’s food bank. Each child received a brand-new backpack filled with essential school supplies A total of 800 backpacks were distributed this year.

“We’ve been handing out backpacks for years,” said a Sun Youth representative, “but this is the first time we’ve created a full event around it. We wanted to make the return to school something children could look forward to, not fear.”

Special thanks go out to dedicated teams from AWS, CIM Conseil, RBC, PaySafe, and CIMA, as well as Charles River and Colle et Moi for their support in assembling and distributing the backpacks.

The event wasn’t just about school supplies, it was about creating joy. Families enjoyed games, ice cream, and popcorn while waiting to pick up their backpacks. Sun Youth’s Sports & Recreation department was also on-site to present its upcoming fall programs, which include both competitive and recreational sports as well as the ever-popular Art Club.

These programs are particularly valuable for Sun Youth food bank clients, who can register their children at just 10% of the full cost — a small fee for a big opportunity.

As children left with new backpacks and a sense of excitement, the message was clear: back to school can be something to look forward to with the right support.