Hundreds Of Backpacks Donated To Military Kids At Camp Parks, Travis AF Base

DUBLIN, CA — More than 200 backpacks were recently donated to children living on two Bay Area military bases. The US Army Reserves Garrison Camp Parks in Dublin and Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield each received more than 100 backpacks stuffed with school supplies. The new backpacks, and almost $11,000 worth of supplies, were collected during Sandia Lab’s annual Operation Backpack drive in Livermore.

“Operation Backpack was founded as a way for the California site to thank military families for their sacrifice in service to the nation,” Sandia officials said in a statement. “The back-to-school season can be a stressful and costly time for any family, but can be especially trying for military families with a deployed family member or single-earner households.By providing school supplies, the Operation Backpack planning committee helps alleviate stress and lets military families know that they are supported by the Sandia’s California Laboratory.”

Officials said the drive, which is managed by Sandia’s Military Support Committee in partnership with Veterans in Energy, Technology, and Science at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has grown in popularity each year and will be expanded to include a third military base in 2018.

“Operation Backpack donations for 2017 far exceeded last year’s total of 65 backpacks, and the previous year’s record of 48,” officials said. “The impressive haul this year comes courtesy of Sandia employees including security personnel, escorts, personnel from lab contractors JR Griffin and JD General, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employees.”

Photos courtesy Operation Backpack

Photo #1: Kids at US Army Reserves Garrison Camp Parks, excited to show off their stylish new backpacks.

Photo #2: Sandians pose amidst an overflow of donations. Bottom, left to right: Associate Labs Director Dori Ellis and Rachel Sowell. Top, left to right: Adrian Valenzuela, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Sarah Ann Flores, Brian Abelgas, and Angela Tallman, LLNL