NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton Wireless Zone invites families and their children to come to the store Sunday to pick up a free backpack filled with books and school supplies.
The cellphone retailer, located at 162 N. King St., is partnering with The Cellular Connection and Culture of Good for a School Rocks Backpack Giveaway.
Nate Bastarache, owner of the Northampton and five other Wireless Zone locations, said this is a non-sales related event.
“This is a no-catch event,” Bastarache said. “You don’t have to buy anything, you don’t have to give us your email or phone number. It’s not related to sales.”
Bastarache purchased 100 backpacks for the event, and he said he hopes to give away all of them. Families just need to be present at the store from 1 to 3 p.m. that day to pick it up.
The giveaway can be significant for many families, given that the average person with children in grades K-12 spends an estimated $97.74 on school supplies such as notebooks, pencils and backpacks, according to the National Retail Federation.
This is the first time the Northampton store is taking part in this event, but Bastarache’s staff is not new to giving back. The event falls in line with a lot of other community events that Bastarache and his staff put on throughout the year, he said.
His stores donate money to different organizations in the area, including the Easthampton Community Center, and take part in different school fundraisers.
“I have two kids, so this really hits home for me,” Bastarache said. “It makes me feel good as a member of the community to be able to give back.”
While Bastarache’s store is the only one in the area participating, there are 1,300 stores across the country that are taking part. In total, more than 230,000 backpacks are expected to be delivered.
“I feel like there are a lot of kids in need in our area, and this can be one less thing parents need to worry about,” Bastarache said.