Rising prices made Big Backpack Event blessing for some with school-age children

Inflation-induced higher prices made Sunday's 23rd Big Backpack Event in Fort Myers just as important as ever.

School-age children received classroom supplies and needed vaccinations and their families were provided groceries during the giveaway.

The event, held for the third year as a drive-through process due to the COVID pandemic, is a way for those in need in Southwest Florida to get the supplies they may not have been able to afford otherwise.

Crystal Miranda and Mario Luna had just moved their two-child family from Miami to Lee County when they heard about the event.

"I think it's extremely helpful," Miranda said. "Anything, especially with inflation, helps to cut costs."

The couple and their children Jayden and Allyssandra were the first vehicle in line Sunday to get one of 3,000 backpacks and 1,000 bags of groceries.

The couple said they had the vaccinations already handled and didn't need to take advantage of the free Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine being provided by the Lee County office of the Florida Department of Health.

Leonardo Garcia, who helped originally organize the event as founder of the Multicultural Centre of Southwest Florida, agreed that the need to provide supplies was as great as ever with inflation a huge factor this year.

"Oh, big time," he said. "Even the prices when we were shopping, you could see the difference. For families struggling making a living prices are very high, so basically this is a blessing to these families."

Volunteers from all walks of life showed up Saturday to help stuff the backpacks with folders, pencils, paper and more school supplies.

Connie Ramos-Williams, president and chief marketing officer of Conric PR and Marketing, one of the event organizers and media chair, cited a donation of 1,000 filled backpacks from the Lee County Sheriff's Office as well as groceries donated by the Community Cooperative as helping to ensure there were enough supplies.

"We had to get more supplies and pack Sunday," Ramos-Williams said, when the school items ran out Saturday.

Read more: Neal Communities sponsors 22nd annual Big Backpack Event

Also: Big Backpack Event in Lee County keeps curbside handout of school supplies

And: Need for school supplies remains in Fort Myers, Big Backpack Event draws thousands to Skatium

She said many of the same volunteers came back Sunday to help give out the supplies they helped pack Saturday.

"A lot of volunteers came back for part two," she said.

They managed to get everything so well organized that, for the second year in a row, they got the event started an hour earlier than the announced 11 a.m. kickoff.

Working in the blazing sun with temperatures climbing Sunday, volunteers scurried around the Skatium getting the backpacks and groceries lined up for the waiting vehicles.

One of those myriad volunteers told why she was helping.

"I'm a school social worker for the Lee County School District," said Evelyn Philistin, "A lot of my students are in need so this is just a way of giving back before school starts."

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Inflation makes Big Backpack Event still an important offering in SWFL