Verizon-Cellular Plus Helps Kids Start Year On the Right Foot

During the first annual Backpack Give-Away, Verizon-Cellular Plus in Glasgow had the opportunity to provide free backpacks filled with essential school supplies such as a folder, a notebook, pencils, pens, crayons, among others, to area students on July 26. With funds raised through donations, a total of 60 backpacks were handed out to 60 students during the event.

"It's amazing how quickly the backpacks went. When I got here at 9:30 a.m., I was surprised to see how many people were lined up," stated store manager Michelle Swanson. At 10 a.m., when the giveaway officially started, the line was to Verizon-Cellular Plus' neighbor, Northwest Farm Credit Services. With the assistance of sales associate Julie Gregory, all 60 backpacks were handed out in eight minutes. "I was not expecting this to go so quickly!," exclaimed Swanson after the crowd of people dissipated.

For those who weren't so lucky, Swanson took down the name and contact information of those who missed the chance and added them to a waitlist. "It's possible other stores in our region had leftover backpacks. After the event, all the stores are supposed to compile a list of how many leftovers they have to see how many backpacks they are able to redistribute, and then we will work down the master wait list," explained Swanson.

This is the first year Verizon-Cellular Plus provided this opportunity to the community and throughout the various stores. Prior to the event, employees and customers had the opportunity to donate $7, which was then used to purchase the backpack and the supplies. "We want to make sure kids start on the right foot for the school year," stated Swanson regarding the motivation behind participating in the cause. "I can't wait to see what happens next year!"