Avanza Arvin and the Arvin High School National Honor Society are bringing back the Enchanted Garden Backpack Giveaway, with students spending the past three months preparing to distribute 1,000 free backpacks to local families.
The free event is scheduled for Sunday, July 26, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Arvin Veterans Hall. The giveaway is designed to support families in Lamont, Weedpatch and Arvin, though organizers say no family from surrounding communities will be turned away.
Maria Pantoja, president of Avanza Arvin — a student-led community organization — is encouraging everyone to attend.
"I would like to invite everyone to come to this free event and get these resources, these free haircuts, and just enjoy everything that there is of this event, and make sure you bring your families, friends, nieces, cousins, everyone," Pantoja said.
Organizers say the event addresses a real need for many families in the area.
"Many of these students here are from low-income families, so oftentimes they can't repurchase backpacks every single year. So having this opportunity of getting these free backpacks allow them to have a fresh start in this upcoming year," Pantoja said.
Clarissa Gomez with Avanza Arvin says the event is made possible through community support and donations, including contributions from local businesses and the National Honor Society, which is partnering with the organization for the third consecutive year.
"We did get a lot of donors from people from here, communities like local businesses that have donated so much stuff as well as the National Honor Society. They're partnering with us on this event for the 3rd year again, and they are the ones that help donate all of these backpacks for this event," Gomez said.
Gomez says the event is especially meaningful given the financial pressures many families are currently facing.
"It's honestly been tough times because of inflation and stuff, and it's really important that we give back to our community, especially for the youth, because they are our future. So, if we can donate to our future and helping them prepare for this, school year, that's amazing," Gomez said.
For Pantoja, the event carries personal significance. She says she remembers receiving similar support as a child.
"Giving back to the community that once gave back to me, I remember I used to get these resources whenever I was younger at Bear Mountain. At the time, it was not with Avanza Arvin, but it was with the Kiwanis and I remember going to the event and being excited to get a new backpack," Pantoja said.
The Enchanted Garden Backpack Giveaway takes place Sunday, July 26, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Arvin Veterans Hall.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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