Backpack, supplies and scholarships, oh my!

SANDPOINT – Local Verizon Wireless retailers in Sandpoint and Ponderay will be giving away backpacks full of school supplies — and a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship.

According to the National Retail Federation, American families spent an average of $849.90 on school supplies in 2021 – totaling $37.1 billion last year alone. A representative from, Isabella Bullard, said Round Room is working to ease the strain of rising school supply costs with its annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway, which is done through its TCC and Wireless Zone stores nationwide.

This event started as a way for RR to uphold its company standards of giving back to communities and giving back to communities. Since starting the event in 2012, 1.2 million backpacks have been given away to families at more than 1,000 locations nationwide.

The event will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary. In honor of that, Round Room LLC, TCC, and Wireless zone have donated 140,000 backpacks filled with school supplies. But that’s not all they’re doing to give back. Leftover backpacks will be donated to the local schools chosen by each location. Meaning two schools in Bonner County may receive the backpacks, and, known as the giveaway’s “Big Impact,” parents will have the opportunity to enter their K-12 students to win one of five $10,000 scholarships during the event.

On Sunday, July 31, between 1-4 p.m., Sandpoint and Ponderay TCC locations will join more than 1,200 TCC and Wireless Zone nationwide stores in inviting local families to their locations to pick up a backpack filled with pencils, paper, a pencil box, folders, a ruler and glue. One backpack per child present will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

“For the School Rocks Backpack Giveaway to reach its tenth edition is truly monumental for all of us at Round Room, TCC, and Wireless Zone. This event is now an annual staple in communities nationwide and we couldn't be more proud of how much we’ve been able to positively impact students these last ten years,” said Scott Moorehead, CEO of Round Room “The rising costs of school supplies have made it immensely difficult for many families to adequately prepare their children each school year. Our goal is to alleviate these challenges for as many families as we can through this annual give-back event.”

Supporters of the School Rocks Backpack Giveaway are encouraged to use hashtags #BackpackGiveaway and #10DaysOfGiving on Instagram and Twitter to help spread the word.