'Back-To-School Drive And Dash' Hands Out 20K Backpacks To PGCPS Students

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Saturday morning, families were given 20,000 backpacks during the Prince George’s County Public Schools annual Back-To-School Drive and Dash donation event.

This year’s Drive and Dash event was sponsored by the Excellence in Education Foundation for PGCPS in collaboration with several different community partners.

“We have high-energy volunteers, a lively crowd and lots and lots of backpacks,” Raven Hill, PGCPS assistant superintendent for communications and community engagement, told WTOP. “Usually we are able to give away around 10,000 backpacks at the annual Drive and Dash. But this year, through the generosity of community partners, we are able to give away 20,000.”

Hill said community partners donated around $97,000, helping the district outfit even more students with the supplies they need to start the school year off on the right foot.

“We know the cost of everything is going up and school supplies are no exception, so we are just thankful that we have so much support from what we called the PGCPS village,” Hill said.

Business partners interested in adopting a school can contact Partnerships@pgcps.org.