Boca Raton, FL., July 27, 2022/– Palm Beach County’s annual back-to-school bash kicks off this weekend. The event, known as Back to School PBC, provides students in need from grades K-12 with all the necessary school supplies to get their year started on the right track. The event is a private-only invite not open to the general public, and held at different sites throughout Palm Beach County. Students report to the locations listed on the invitations they receive by email or mail during the first two weeks of July.

Students will also receive free health screenings, physical exams, and donations of clothes, school uniforms, headphones, personal hygiene kits, and other essentials. The event, in its 20th year, expects to draw over 10,000 students from grades K-12.

“Spirit of Giving helps kids get ready for school by having this tremendous bash. It’s incredible. Things you don’t even think of. Their physicals. Their haircuts. Everything including resources for the parents. It’s a one-stop shop. It’s fantastic,” says Coleen La Costa, Executive Director of For Kids.

Volunteers are encouraged to help event organizers set up the day before and day of the event. Some of the tasks event organizers need assistance with include:

  • setup of vendor tents
  • checking in registered students
  • distribution of backpacks and school supplies
  • help coordinate health screenings and physical exams for students

Spirit of Giving started the Annual Back to School PBC Event over 20 years ago at a holiday party hosted by the organization’s founder, Barbara Schmidt. Each guest was asked to bring a gift for a child that evening. Schmidt received more than 600 gifts. From that point, Schmidt reached out to all the local non-profit organizations and began a collaborative effort to collect donations for needy children.

“She started meeting with them monthly and noticed they weren’t talking. Twenty years ago, collaboration wasn’t a word. They were really closed. They were worried they were going to sneak a donor out of there. She said you know we could be better together. So that’s how we started. So we could connect people,” says Lindy Harvey, Executive Director of Spirit of Giving.

For more information about volunteering this weekend, please contact:

Barbara Schmidt, Founder

Spirit of Giving

(561) 385-0144

1515 N Federal Highway

Boca Raton, FL 33432

Spiritofgivingnetwork.com