By MINDY MCCLURE

TCC Northern Indiana Sales Market Manager

WARSAW — Residents in Warsaw are about to benefit from a national backpack giveaway campaign. TCC, the largest Verizon Premium Wireless Retailer in the U.S., announced it will donate 100,000 backpacks full of school supplies to children through its annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway.

Since 2013, the company has donated 260,000 backpacks filled with supplies to ensure children are well prepared for the start of the school year. More than 400 participating TCC stores across the U.S. are inviting local families to bring their children to the store between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, to pick up a backpack filled with pencils, paper, a pencil box, folders, glue and other school supplies.

One backpack per child will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Warsaw’s store is at 558 W 300 N.

Each participating TCC store will donate 200 backpacks. All leftover backpacks will be donated to local schools.

In 2014, the National Retail Federation predicted the average person with children in kindergarten through grade 12 would spend $101.18 on school supplies, such as notebooks, pencils and backpacks, compared to $90.49 in 2013. With nearly 16 million children in the U.S. living in poverty, TCC is working to alleviate the rising costs of school supplies through this annual program.

“We are grateful to be able to play a role in ensuring that as many children as possible are set up for educational success,” said Scott Moorehead, CEO of TCC. “The backpack giveaway is something that both our employees and customers look forward to every year. It is our ultimate goal to make a difference equally in the lives of our employees, customers and the communities where we live and this effort is one in which we accomplish all of these objectives.”

The School Rocks Backpack Giveaway is one of TCC’s four annual Culture of Good initiatives. Other programs include providing canned goods to local food banks, giving supply packs to 3,500 teachers across the U.S. and volunteering time to improve the environment.

To learn more about the company, click here. Consumers can connect with TCC on Facebook and Twitter.

More information about the School Rocks Backpack Giveaway initiative is available on YouTube. Supporters of the School Rocks Backpack Giveaway are encouraged to use hashtag #cultureofgood on Instagram and Twitter to help spread the word.

Learn more about TCC’s Culture of Good online.