Several hundred Buffalo students will be marching off to school in little more than two weeks with bright new backpacks and an array of the latest in school supplies. The backpacks were donated by Citizens Bank.
The school supplies from bank staff and customers were stuffed into the packs by bank workers.
Kids and parents lined up in the Lanigan Community Center on Fulton Street to receive the backpacks and some school encouragement from Mayor Byron Brown and bank Senior Vice President Tom Giles.
Athena Pate says those school supplies are important, the backpack not so much.
"It's important for them to have a book bag of school supplies. It doesn't have to be new but a book bag is very important that they do have one."
Center officials say many of these families have trouble buying everything their kids need for the start of school. A new study says parents spend $700 on clothing and school gear as the opening bell approaches.
For parent Tylise Holliday, the backpack is important.
"It comes in handy when you don't have money. So, anything that help up out in continuing education is a blessing to me."
The bank will provide 300 backpacks across the city and 1,800 across the state, adding to the total of 200,000 over the last 10 years.
