August 5, 2023 – If you ask the volunteers at Backpack Attack, pink is the back-to-school color of choice this year. By 10 a.m.—only an hour into the annual school supply distribution event—all of the hot pink bags in stock had been picked up.
“Now, we’re trying to kind of sell them on the blue bags with pink accents,” joked Jane Rademacher, one of the many volunteers who spent the morning handing out backpacks of varying colors at the event.
2023 is the 13th year for the Decatur Family YMCA’s Backpack Attack—an opportunity for families with students entering grades K-6 to pick up a free bag stuffed with school supplies required by local districts. Volunteers at two different locations, with distribution planned at another location early next week, gave away over 2,000 backpacks during the three-hour event. This year, Backpack Attack went beyond pencils and crayons, however—several community organizations were onsite with resources to ensure students were equipped for success in the new year.
Rademacher, an account manager at ADM, joined 13 of her coworkers in the ADM Cares program at the Y for her third year as a Backpack Attack volunteer. She said she’s proud to support an event that’s become a back-to-school staple for local families, and she especially enjoys seeing the kids’ smiles as they select their new backpacks—no matter the color.
“It reminds me of when I was in grade school and I got to pick out a backpack,” Rademacher said. “There’s fresh crayons, there’s little scissors and notebooks, and it just brings me back to that time in life.”
Although the Y is Backpack Attack’s official home, the event has expanded to other Decatur neighborhoods in recent years. ADM Cares volunteers were onsite at the Y, local nonprofits Walk It Like We Talk It and Hands of Hearts hosted a branch at Old King’s Orchard Community Center and el Centro for Hispanic and Immigrant Community Opportunities (CHICO) was scheduled to host a third distribution center at Johns Hill Magnet School. Because of stormy conditions, the Johns Hill distribution has been rescheduled for Tuesday, August 8, starting at 3 p.m. and continuing until they’re out of bags.
Volunteers at Old King’s Orchard pose with backpacks being handed out to area youth Saturday morning.
This year, the Y teamed up with the Macon County Health Department, Crossing Healthcare and various youth development agencies to ensure families checked all of the boxes on their back-to-school checklists. Shuttles ran back and forth to MCHD’s Condit Street facility so students could receive necessary vaccinations, attendees were encouraged to visit Crossing’s Jumpstart clinic for their required physicals, and other nonprofits were onsite with free resources. Dominic Santomassimo, the Y’s CEO, said he’s proud to see organizations coming together from every corner of the community to support the event.
“To have these partners come in and help support, it really warms my heart,” Santomassimo remarked. “This is what it’s really all about: the kids and their parents. It’s the best day of the year, as far as I’m concerned.”
Tiffany Cook brought two Decatur Public Schools students—a fourth grader and a fifth grader—to the event. Although it was her students’ first year stopping by, she said she was grateful for the variety of resources provided, and, of course, the school supplies.
“It’s a really good thing because some people just can’t afford it or don’t have it, and I think it’s great,” Cook said. “My favorite part of the day has been watching them pick out their own backpacks.”
At Old King’s Orchard, Jennifer Ellis brought a friend’s student by to pick up a backpack. Ellis, who’s a former school bus driver for DPS, said she’s happy the event has expanded beyond the Y, allowing families throughout the community to benefit.
“They can walk down to it versus having to catch a bus or get a ride from somebody,” Ellis said. “It just makes it a lot more accessible.”
At the end of the day, Santomassimo said he’s grateful Backpack Attack has impacted so many families over the years.
“Today, it’s not about us—it’s all about these kids and families,” Santomassimo said. “We work for the Y to support our community, so it’s a blessing and we’re just happy to be here.”
