School Supplies Surprise hands out stuffed backpacks to Calgary children [Video]

Over 100 Calgary at-risk children received backpacks stuffed with school supplies Saturday.

The Youth Empowerment and Skills Centre – YES Centre—handed out 150 backpacks at their third annual School Supplies Surprise Saturday in southeast Calgary.

The initiative was made possible in part by a substantial donation made by the Calgary Flames Foundation, said community organizer Gar Gar, who’s the founder of the event.

“There is a huge need,” said Gar, in an interview with CTV News. “And it shows how much people are struggling right now, particularly in low income families trying to choose between food on the table and paying bills and paying rent.

“A lot of families that we deal with, most of the kids are at-risk or vulnerable kids that, without help, they have no support.”

With the distribution of the 150 backpacks, there are a lot of children in the community whose school year will hopefully …