7th Annual Back-to-School Event
Saturday, August 2nd
9am - 1pm
Our 8th Annual Back-to-School Event will be held on Saturday, August 2nd and it's going to be even bigger and better than ever!
We are seeking donations for the following: – Kids clothing* – Kids shoes* – New undergarments (underwear, teen bras, socks) – School Supplies – Water, Drinks and Snacks for the event – Gift cards or monetary donations to purchase items
*Clothing/shoes should be new or gently worn and free from holes, stains and odors. Undergarments / socks must be NEW.
If your organization / church is interested in supporting a specific area of need, please contact us! (for example, if you want to collect a single item such as shoes, socks, notebooks, etc). We are also looking for child-related information / resource vendors to attend. Vendors such as dentists, optometrists, medical, insurance, etc., are encouraged to contact us to discuss attendance.
Volunteer opportunities will be listed soon.
Background, Eligibility, Numbers, and Fundraising Request
BACKGROUND
Our Back-to-School Event was the pilot program of 4:12 Kids, beginning even before incorporation as a 501(c)3, providing for our local community beginning in 2018. At this now annual event, children are provided new backpacks filled with school supplies, dental kits, new socks and undergarments, tennis shoes, and gently worn clothing. The event also includes free scholastic books, balloon animals, parent resources, snow cones, kite flying, and a whole lot of fun. We have been fortunate to have former NFL player and chaplain for the San Antonio Spurs, Rich Garza, present at our last 3 events to speak to those in attendance about making good choices as they enter into the new school year.
Through the backpack/school supply portion of this event, we distributed only 70 backpacks with school supplies to children in Lockhart, Texas at our inaugural event in 2018. Through the COVID school years of 2020 and 2021, we provided 650 backpacks, cumulatively. With the addition of another event location in 2022, this number grew to 1,016 students receiving supplies. 2023 saw our biggest increase in the number of students we were able to support – 1,950: a 192% increase over the previous year.
By providing backpacks and school supplies to those who are economically disadvantaged, we are ensuring every student begins the school year equal to their peers by removing barriers to learning that may exist due to lack.
ELIGIBILITY
Our Back-to-School event in Texas is open to all families within Central Texas. In 2023, families from over 20 different school districts attended our event. There is no registration required and families do not have to show proof of income, address, or status to receive items for their child. Our event in Virginia is currently set up in a rural area as a drive-thru backpack/school supply event only (2025 date TBD), attracting families in need from all over the northern Virginia area. Finally, our backpack distribution in Georgia is through Cobb County Schools, which distributes the items to students identified within the first couple weeks of the school year as having a need.
FUNDRAISING
For 2025, we are aiming to remain consistent with our numbers, setting a goal of 2,000 backpacks full of school supplies. While this is not a significant increase in the number of children we will be providing for, we are aiming to increase the amount and quality of school supplies that will be included with each backpack. The supplies provided in previous years were enough to get the student started in the new school year, but we estimate those supplies to have run out within a couple of months. By providing more supplies, we hope to get the students through January, at minimum. This will allow parents to be able to better provide a quality Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday for their children instead of having to worry about purchasing more school supplies.
In the past, we have relied on the community to donate school supply items for inclusion in the backpack. While this has been fairly successful, we have found that there is no consistency in the items we receive (i.e. 8 ct crayons vs. 24 ct crayons, loose leaf paper vs. spiral notebooks, etc.). In addition, these donations account for less than half of the needs; we rely on our sponsors and donors to provide the funds for us to purchase the remaining items. By funding the entire backpack portion of our Back-to-School project monetarily, we will be able to purchase all the school supplies in bulk, at a wholesale price. This will allow us to, as previously stated, purchase more supplies to fill the packs and each of them will be identical in what they contain.
With our bulk and wholesale pricing, we will be able to purchase 2000 backpacks with a 60-piece supply kit in each for approximately $30,000. For an additional $5,000 we could increase our backpack number to 2,500. An additional $5,000 in event costs (equipment rentals, snacks/drink for each child, guest speaker, advertisement, etc.), brings the cost of this event to approximately $40,000
Our Back-to-School Event was the pilot program of 4:12 Kids, beginning even before incorporation as a 501(c)3, providing for our local community beginning in 2018. At this now annual event, children are provided new backpacks filled with school supplies, dental kits, new socks and undergarments, tennis shoes, and gently worn clothing. The event also includes free scholastic books, balloon animals, parent resources, snow cones, kite flying, and a whole lot of fun. We have been fortunate to have former NFL player and chaplain for the San Antonio Spurs, Rich Garza, present at our last 3 events to speak to those in attendance about making good choices as they enter into the new school year.
Through the backpack/school supply portion of this event, we distributed only 70 backpacks with school supplies to children in Lockhart, Texas at our inaugural event in 2018. Through the COVID school years of 2020 and 2021, we provided 650 backpacks, cumulatively. With the addition of another event location in 2022, this number grew to 1,016 students receiving supplies. 2023 saw our biggest increase in the number of students we were able to support – 1,950: a 192% increase over the previous year.
By providing backpacks and school supplies to those who are economically disadvantaged, we are ensuring every student begins the school year equal to their peers by removing barriers to learning that may exist due to lack.
ELIGIBILITY
Our Back-to-School event in Texas is open to all families within Central Texas. In 2023, families from over 20 different school districts attended our event. There is no registration required and families do not have to show proof of income, address, or status to receive items for their child. Our event in Virginia is currently set up in a rural area as a drive-thru backpack/school supply event only (2025 date TBD), attracting families in need from all over the northern Virginia area. Finally, our backpack distribution in Georgia is through Cobb County Schools, which distributes the items to students identified within the first couple weeks of the school year as having a need.
FUNDRAISING
For 2025, we are aiming to remain consistent with our numbers, setting a goal of 2,000 backpacks full of school supplies. While this is not a significant increase in the number of children we will be providing for, we are aiming to increase the amount and quality of school supplies that will be included with each backpack. The supplies provided in previous years were enough to get the student started in the new school year, but we estimate those supplies to have run out within a couple of months. By providing more supplies, we hope to get the students through January, at minimum. This will allow parents to be able to better provide a quality Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday for their children instead of having to worry about purchasing more school supplies.
In the past, we have relied on the community to donate school supply items for inclusion in the backpack. While this has been fairly successful, we have found that there is no consistency in the items we receive (i.e. 8 ct crayons vs. 24 ct crayons, loose leaf paper vs. spiral notebooks, etc.). In addition, these donations account for less than half of the needs; we rely on our sponsors and donors to provide the funds for us to purchase the remaining items. By funding the entire backpack portion of our Back-to-School project monetarily, we will be able to purchase all the school supplies in bulk, at a wholesale price. This will allow us to, as previously stated, purchase more supplies to fill the packs and each of them will be identical in what they contain.
With our bulk and wholesale pricing, we will be able to purchase 2000 backpacks with a 60-piece supply kit in each for approximately $30,000. For an additional $5,000 we could increase our backpack number to 2,500. An additional $5,000 in event costs (equipment rentals, snacks/drink for each child, guest speaker, advertisement, etc.), brings the cost of this event to approximately $40,000
Help us help kids get back to school on the right foot!
By clicking the DONATE NOW button below, you can be assured your donation will be used specifically to help our students get the assistance they need to start school aligned with their peers.
If you prefer, you may contact us direct at 512.668.4334 or by email at [email protected] or choose one of the other methods of donation listed below.
