TOP: Pima County sheriff’s correctional officer Sonia Larsen grabs more packs out of a box, trying to stay ahead of the crowd, while helping give away 1,000 free backpacks and other basic school supplies during the Badges & Backpacks event at the Tucson Convention Center, where several thousand people showed up Saturday, many of them hours before the event’s 10 a.m. start. The backpacks were gone in less than 40 minutes.
Shaun Tilley, event manager at the TCC, estimated that more than 5,000 people were lined up along the west side of the center, stretching south and then east to South Church Avenue. Sheriff’s Lt. Nicole Feldt said that last year, about 600 backpacks were given away in four hours, with hundreds of backpacks left over. She said limited funds kept organizers from having more backpacks on hand Saturday.
Those interested in donating to the cause can call the Sheriff’s Department’s community resource unit at 351-4615. For those still looking for school supplies for this year, El Pueblo Community Center is giving away 1,500 backpacks Saturday, July 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at West Irvington Road and South Sixth Avenue.
Bottom: Pima County Sheriff’s correctional officer Fatima Desmarias digs out a turquoise backpack for a family. Demand for the free school supplies was heavy at Saturday’s Badges & Backpacks event at the Tucson Convention Center.
