An array of kids' backpacks. Photo by Daniel Friedman

Go to any school and you’ll see that all the kids are carrying backpacks full of books, school supplies and maybe their lunch. Kids whose parents can’t buy backpacks or school supplies still need them so there have been a lot of backpack drives lately.

This weekend, The Phoenix Suns, Harkins Theatres and Coca-Cola will host a “Back-to-School Backpack Drive.” Backpacks filled with school supplies will be collected from 10am to noon on  Saturday, Aug. 11 at Harkins Chandler Crossroads and Harkins Scottsdale 101. On Sunday, Aug. 12, the drive moves to Harkins Park West from 1 to 3pm.

Suns rookie Kendall Marshall will be at Harkins Scottsdale 101 from 1:30-2:30pm Saturday and Suns head coach Alvin Gentry will be there from 2-3pm. Suns alumni and the Suns Gorilla will be at the Chandler Crossroads and Park West theaters. The APS Solar Squad, a dance team, will be at all three locations.

Movie goers will receive two free Ultimate VIP admission tickets valid to any Harkins movie when they donate a new backpack filled with school supplies including crayons, spiral notebooks, pencils and glue sticks. All the filled backpacks will be delivered to Communities in Schools to be distributed to students.

BACKPACKS FOR THE HOMELESS

Kids aren’t the only ones who need to carry their stuff. The Rapaport Team is having a backpack drive hoping to collect 2,500 backpacks for homeless people by Aug. 15. Instead of school supplies, the new or used backpacks need to be filled with hats, sunscreen, lip balm and toiletries including body wash, shampoo, hand sanitizer, bar soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

The backpacks will be delivered to the Human Services Campus by Lodestar Day Resource Center. There are 35 drop-off locations including 31 Cold Stone Creamery locations in Maricopa County, three Black Bear Restaurants and Jerry’s Restaurant at 2323 East Thomas Rd. in Phoenix.

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