Islanders Kick Off School Season with Backpack Giveaway

The season got underway at Northwell Health Ice Center on Saturday afternoon.
Not the hockey season, which is still about six weeks away, but the back-to-school season, as the New York Islanders and Rosemont gave out 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to local kids.

"The Islanders organization is all about community," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said. "This is just another example of that, the fact that the Islanders are here, partnering with the community giving these really nice backpacks to kids to start the school year off right. I think it's just wonderful."
The backpacks included the essentials for the upcoming school year, including Islanderized notebooks, folders, pencils, a water bottle, ruler, pencil sharpener and eraser. If the Islanders are going to be suited up with top-of-the-line equipment, so should kids in the Nassau, Suffolk and Queens communities.

"It's so generous," said Heather Manikas. "My son is excited to have his New York Islanders backpack and wear it to school. It's a nice bonus for the kids for this year."
Approximately 500 kids came to pick up their backpacks from Northwell on Saturday, with the rest being distributed by organizations across New York. The goal is to lend a helping hand to unserved, or disadvantaged families, as well as assist organizations looking to address youth homelessness, foster care, disability, mental health and domestic abuse services.
The backpacks were
packed by Islanders and Rosemont employees on Aug. 26
, as the two organizations are committed to promoting educational initiatives and assisting the next generation. And with the additional challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has presented for the return to the classroom, the Islanders and Rosemont were looking to cross one thing off of parents' to-do list.
"It's been a stressful time for parents, between COVID and financial issues, job insecurity," Curran said. "The fact that the Islanders are taking one problem off the to-do list, making it fun on a gorgeous day with Sparky and fun things to do for the kids, is just wonderful."
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