IMMOKALEE, Fla. — The first day of school for kids in Collier County is August 13, meaning back-to-school supplies can add up quickly for families like Milereilis Morales.
“In uniforms and stuff they need for school, we’ve wasted around $500,” she said.
Morales saved around $150 in supplies this year by attending the 8th Annual Lipman Family Farm Backpack Giveaway, and that extra cash can be useful for large families like the Morales’.
“Having a lot of kids is hard work, but you guys give us the opportunity to save in mostly everything, in school supplies and backpacks,” she said.
The event had more than just backpacks! They gave out over $15,000 in gift cards to retail stores like Walmart, Target, and J.C. Penney, and also offered some necessary back-to-school services available for families to utilize.
“We had someone here doing school immunizations, health exams, eyeglass world was doing vision screenings,” said Jaime Weisinger, the Director of Community and Government Relations for Lipman Family Farms.
Another group called Bikes for Tykes donated 200 bicycles for kids to take home. This organization recreates old bicycles and turns them into brand new ones. Founder Skip Riffle says kids were happy about getting a bike.
“We all remember our first bike. I didn’t see a frown on anybody’s face,” Riffle said.
Lipman Family Farm gave away over 1,500 backpacks to families this year.
To learn more about Bikes For Tykes and their mission, visit their website https://www.bikesfortykes.org/.
