Pensacola Parks and Recreation's Operation Backpack: Resupply drive is expanding this giving season to include collecting school supplies for Springfield Elementary School in Bay County.
Molly Mahtani, Parks and Recreation Program Specialist, has organized Operation Backpack supply drive for the past three years. Upon reaching out to the Bay County School District she discovered that Springfield Elementary was one of the most impacted schools due to Hurricane Michael. “The building was devastated to the point that students had to be moved to another school in the district; leaving students and teachers with nothing. We want to help these students, teachers, and families recover by providing school supplies and backpacks through Operation Backpack: Resupply,” said Mahtani.
School supplies are also still being collected to help resupply families who have students attending Parks and Recreation Department's After School programs for the second semester. However there is a specific list of supplies for the Springfield Elementary students that differs slightly from the Escambia County schools list. While donations of backpacks full of supplies are encouraged, we will accept donations of single items on the either list. Both lists are available online at PlayPensacola.com.
Haynes Van and Storage will store supplies for Parks and Recreation as needed and Two Men and a Truck has offered to take the supplies to Panama City.
Parks and Recreation will host a special collection day on Tuesday, November 27, at Skyzone Pensacola trampoline park for Giving Tuesday. If you donate a backpack with supplies at Skyzone Pensacola on that day you will receive a buy one get one free jump pass!
For more details on collection sites and a complete list of supplies needed for Operation Backpack: Resupply click here: https://www.cityofpensacola.com/2501/Operation-Backpack.