The Town of Hempstead Is Giving Out Free Backpacks in Back-to-School Celebration

Hempstead Mayor Don Ryan will join the Able Body of Believers Alliance (ABBA) on August 28 and August 31 for two backpack giveaways. The August 31 event is the the 14th annual Back to School Celebration to help local children get ready for school. This is one of the village’s most well-attended events. Elder Reginald Benjamin and his staff, including event organizer Nicole Staton, put together the event to provide more than 1,200 kids (in first through 12th grades) with backpacks filled with school supplies donated by area businesses and organizations just in time for the school year.  

The August 31 event will feature motivational speakers, wellness services, entertainment, local vendors, food, and refreshments. Guests are asked to donate a toy as well.

Elder Reginald Benjamin worked as a chaplain in a Nassau County jail from 1998-2017. He explains that seeing the high number of people, particularly people of color, coming into the facility without a high school diploma–and coming from the Hempstead-Roosevelt-Freeport school system–inspired him to help create an event that would give everyone a chance to succeed in school from the outset.