Families in the New Orleans area can get a financial break this back-to-school season thanks to a nationwide giveaway hosted by Round Room, a Verizon Authorized Retailer. On Sunday, July 27, at 1 p.m., participating TCC and Wireless Zone stores will distribute free backpacks filled with school supplies to local children as part of the 13th annual “School Rocks Backpack Giveaway.”
Backpacks will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, with one backpack per child present, while supplies last. Local giveaway locations include:
- Cutoff: 16258 W. Main St.
- LaPlace: 901 W. Airline Hwy., Ste. F (clear backpacks available here)
- Metairie: 2222 Clearview Pkwy., Ste. H-2
Any leftover backpacks will be donated to local schools selected by each store. More than 140,000 backpacks, valued at over $3 million, will be given away at 1,200+ locations nationwide. Since the event began in 2013, Round Room has donated more than 1.5 million backpacks to students across the country.
This year’s giveaway also marks the conclusion of Round Room’s inaugural “Stuff the Bus” campaign, a community school supply drive held throughout June. One deserving school will receive a bus filled with nearly $40,000 in classroom supplies, with additional finalist schools receiving supplies collected in their local communities.
CEO Scott Moorehead says the initiative is about more than supplies: It’s about community. “It’s not just about the backpacks, it’s about showing up for our neighbors,” he shares. “When our teams gather in stores across the country to give back on the same day, it’s a magical thing.”
The timing of this event couldn’t be more urgent. With inflation and economic pressures continuing to affect families, the cost of sending children back to school is rising. Parents in the U.S. spent an average of $875 on back-to-school items last year, and that number is expected to grow even more. A recent report shows 52 percent of parents from low-income households plan to buy only the absolute essentials this year, which is up from 45% in 2024.
Round Room’s backpack giveaway is part of its larger philanthropic mission. Through its community grant program, the company has donated over $8 million to 1,600+ nonprofits nationwide, supporting causes from education and domestic violence prevention to pet rescue and disaster relief.
Families can visit the TCC or Wireless Zone websites to find the nearest participating store by selecting the “Backpack Giveaway Participating Stores” filter.