Photo of the day: Offering smiles and school supplies to dependent military children

The challenge of securing school supplies for military service members and their families in Utah got a boost Wednesday through the Brigade Backpack program held at Hill Field Elementary School in Clearfield.

Operation Homefront’s Back-to-School Brigade is a nationwide campaign that collects and distributes school supplies to eligible dependents of service members. Through the program, military children receive free back-to-school supplies, including backpacks, to help them start the new school year on the right foot. Organizers say they’ve distributed more than 500,000 backpacks to military children, saving military families nearly $55 million in school expenses.

For youth in grades K-12, many of whom attend Hill Field Elementary near Hill Air Force Base, the backpacks were filled with school supplies, such as pencils, paper and other essential items, to help children succeed, as well as other treats to bring smiles to their faces.

The program, now in its 13th year, is funded by donations from individuals and corporate sponsors.

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