Verizon giving away back-to-school backpacks Saturday

Havre’s Verizon-Cellular Plus is providing free back-to-school backpacks, filled with school supplies, Saturday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to noon.

“We just wanted to give back to the local community and help students kick off the school year in a great way,” Verizon-Cellular Plus Marketing Director Merisa Saunders said. “We thought … giving them a brand new backpack would help.”

The backpacks include school supplies, such as a notebook, pens and pencils, crayons, a pencil sharpener, a folder and more.

This is the first year for Verizon-Cellular Plus to do a back-to-school backpack program and the company plans to continue it year by year.

Saunders said this was an idea the company had as a way to give back, and everyone coming together to make it happen. The company employees donated money for backpacks, their customers donated money for backpacks, and even their vendor partners donated money.

“We wanted to make it a little bit easier for families. We know, with school, expenses can be hard and that can be kind of a stressful time of year. Our goal was to really help people and to give back,” Saunders said.

A child has to be present with an adult and the company will give out one backpack per child.

“There are a limited number available and will be distributed while supplies last,” a press release said.

The Verizon-Cellular Plus in Havre is located at 1705 U.S. Highway 2 NW.

Collections also are about to start for Salvation Army’s back-to-school backpack drive in August.