On July 21^st, nearly 5,000 bags of school supplies were given away at Southwire’s Annual Back to School Giveaway in Carrollton, Ga.

This year marks the eighth annual Back to School (BTS) supply giveaway. The event, which is conducted by Project GIFT, started in 2005 and originated in Carrollton, GA. Currently, the event has grown to include thirteen Southwire locations, with this year marking the most locations to ever participate.

The giveaway operates on a “first come, first serve” basis, providing a head start to children from nearly 200 different schools and sending them home with a variety of basic school supplies.

Thousands of participants attended this year’s BTS event in Carrollton. Each family could receive up to three school supply bags. Event sponsors made the experience more enjoyable by offering free items and engaging the students in various activities. Gradick Communications held a live radio remote, and Six Flags gave away two tickets every 30 minutes. Southwire’s Living Well team gave a coloring book to each child that participated in healthy, exercise-related activities while attending the event. Other sponsors and participants included the Ferst Foundation, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Pine Knoll Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Tanner Health System, Carousel Pediatrics and the University of West Georgia.

In addition to these items and activities, other sponsors provided monetary and in-kind donations to the event. West Georgia Technical College, the presenting sponsor, allowed children to sign up for the “My Favorite Teacher” contest. All of the teachers’ names provided were entered into a drawing, with the chosen teacher receiving $1,500. Jennifer Evans, a second grade teacher at New Manchester Elementary School in Douglasville, won the “My Favorite Teacher” contest for Carrollton’s BTS event.

Every year, Project GIFT awards the first family to attend BTS a special prize package. This year’s first family arrived at 5:30 a.m. on June 18, breaking all previous first family records and receiving over $200 worth of school supplies.

According to Krystle Thompson, Project GIFT coordinator, making a difference in someone’s life is the most rewarding part of BTS; “My favorite part of BTS is getting to help families who are in need of supplies that otherwise can’t afford to buy school supplies for their children.”