Broward Education Foundation receives 3.1 miles of backpacks

Broward Education Foundation receives 3.1 miles of backpacks

Thirty-one Gifts & Kids In need Foundation donation valued at more than $500,000

     BROWARD COUNTY – Is it a coincidence that nearly 10,000 donated backpacks from Thirty-One Gifts laid end-to-end would stretch almost 3.1 miles? Broward Education Foundation doesn’t think so and was amazed at the generous contribution, valued at more than $500,000, to help students in need at Broward County Public Schools.

The recent donation to Broward Education Foundation’s Tools For Schools Broward Center from Thirty-One Gifts was made possible through the Kids in Need Foundation.

“There is tremendous and ongoing need for school supplies throughout the school year,” said Broward Education Foundation Executive Director Shea Ciriago. “The need grew even more as our district absorbed students affected by Hurricane Irma. With the generosity of partners like the Kids in Need Foundation and Thirty-One Gifts, we can fulfill those needs.”

Broward Education Foundation established its Tools for Schools Broward center to provide students in need with free school supplies in 2010. Teachers at Title I Broward County Public Schools shop free, twice a year, for their students and classrooms. In partnership with Kids in Need Foundation, local businesses and community leaders, Broward Education Foundation facilitated the distribution of more than $1.5 million in essential supplies for students attending Broward County Public Schools last year.

The backpack donation was initiated for students affected by Hurricane Irma. During the recovery period which followed, Kids In Need Foundation’s Second Responder® program worked to help communities, students and educators return to normal routines.

“We are proud to partner with Thirty-One Gifts to help restore a sense of normalcy to students in the aftermath of the hurricane by providing school supplies that they desperately need,” said Kristine Cohn, Senior Director of Development & Corporate Partnerships of Kids in Need Foundation. “We appreciate the positive impact Broward Education Foundation and its Tools for Schools Broward center impart on Broward County’s students and teachers every day.”