Community push fills backpacks, eases back-to-school costs for Killeen families
On a muggy Saturday morning along East Central Texas Expressway, volunteers hustled through a steady stream of cars as the Carlson Law Firm handed out 700 fully stocked backpacks to children from across the Killeen area. The third annual “We’ve Got Your Back” drive-thru giveaway was designed to lift the pressure on parents buying school supplies before classes resume.
The event followed a simple, family-friendly model: drive up, show that a child is present, and receive a backpack filled with the basics — notebooks, pencils, pens and erasers — with a limit of three bags per family. Organizers said families who brought a school supply list typically found what they needed already inside the pack.
- Backpacks distributed: 700
- Cars served (estimated): 400–500
- People served (estimated): about 1,500 parents and children
Local volunteers and groups helped keep the line moving. Staffers and family members from the Carlson firm worked alongside members of a local soccer team, the Mid-Texas Corvette Club, Rodeo Dental and ProCare Medical. The mix of civic organizations and small-business volunteers reflected a familiar Saturday in Killeen: neighbors pitching in so kids can start the school year without missing needed supplies.
“Oh it’s the kids, the kids’ excitement, the joy they have when they see their backpack, and getting excited about school,”
The giveaway’s managing partner, Craig Carlson, said the children’s reactions fuel the annual effort. That sense of payoff is visible at every handoff: parents reach into trunks, children wiggle with anticipation and volunteers pass out packs with practiced efficiency. Organizers capped distribution at three backpacks per household and required children to be present to prevent over-claiming and to make the moment about the students.
Small details add up for families and schools
For many families, the cost of school supplies is a predictable but heavy line item in August budgets. Events like the Carlson giveaway don't replace the variety of items teachers sometimes request, but they cover the essentials that often make the difference between a child showing up ready or not. Volunteers noted that when families bring a teacher’s list, they often find their requirements already included in the pack — a reassurance for busy parents juggling multiple back-to-school tasks.
Beyond the material help, the event offered a social boost. Drive-thru giveaways remove barriers — parents didn’t need to find childcare for other children, and traffic flowed without long waits. Those operational choices matter in Killeen, where families balance work schedules and school start times. The estimated turnout — nearly 1,500 people — suggests the format resonated.
| Metric | Number (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Backpacks distributed | 700 |
| Cars served | 400–500 |
| People served | About 1,500 |
Organizers said the giveaway is free to the public. The Carlson Law Firm has positioned the event as an annual community fixture; this year was the third edition. The combination of private sponsorship and volunteer labor is a model repeated across Killeen — small-scale but steady programs that tamp down back-to-school anxiety for many local households.
As summer winds down and classrooms prepare for another cycle of lessons and lunches, events like Saturday’s giveaway are small investments with outsized local returns. For families who drove away with a new backpack, the first-day scramble just got a little easier — and for a few hours, the parking lot outside 100 East Central Texas Expressway looked a lot like a neighborhood where people look after one another.
