Local TCC stores gear up for backpack giveaway

SANDPOINT — Round Room, LLC, the nation’s largest Verizon authorized wireless retailer, is set to hand out 140,000 backpacks filled with school supplies on July 21 at more than 850 TCC and Wireless Zone stores across the country.

The Ponderay and Sandpoint branches of TCC will each have up to 200 backpacks to give away to ensure local kids are ready for the upcoming school year. This donation marks TCC’s 7th annual “School Rocks Backpack Giveaway.” Since 2013, TCC has donated 950,000 backpacks filled with supplies to kids, according to a Round Room statement.

“We want to make certain the youth in America have equal access to a great start of the school year, so we are thrilled to support that goal with our seventh annual backpack giveaway,” Scott Moorehead, CEO of Round Room, parent company of TCC, said in a statement.

“By providing families of school-aged children with essential school supplies, we’re easing the back-to-school shopping burden and helping set students up for success.”

According to the National Retail Federation, families with school-aged spent an average $684.79 each, for a total of $27.5 billion, on school supplies in 2018.

With more than one out of every five school-aged children in the U.S. living below the federal poverty threshold, TCC stores are working to alleviate the rising costs of school supplies through this annual program, according to the statement.

TCC makes ongoing investments in the local communities where it operates through its Culture of Good movement. The company recently donated supply packs to nearly 6,000 teachers across the U.S and partnered with local animal rescue organizations nationwide to inspire pet adoptions and collect supplies.

In 2018, the company donated more than 187,000 backpacks with school supplies at TCC and Wireless Zone stores across the country, including Bonner County; and also gave supply packs to more than 5,000 teachers across the U.S.

Supporters of the School Rocks Backpack Giveaway are encouraged to use hashtags #SchoolRocks and #BetterTogether on Instagram and Twitter to help spread the word.

The participating TCC store in Ponderay is located at 477100 N. Highway 95 and the Sandpoint store is located at 201 Superior St. Backpacks filled with various school supplies, including pencils, paper, a pencil box, folders and glue, can be picked up between 1-4 p.m. on July 21.

One backpack per child present will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.