Medford, Ore.- Most people go to Verizon Wireless for a cell phone, but the Medford store on Center Drive was issuing much more than iPhones and Androids today. They were giving out backpacks.
The Culture of Good Ambassador for all Verizon stores in Southern Oregon, Nick Bailado, says events like the backpack giveaway are important to him because he wants to help give back in way he can.
Now in it’s fifth year, the annual event aims to help families in need before their children head back to school.
The backpacks they handed out today helped do just that. They each has a ruler, a pencil box, a glue stick, a folder, and a notebook inside of them.
The backpack giveaway is a part of four campaigns that Verizon does each year.
At the backpack giveaway they had karaoke, a bounce house, and a water balloon fight. While it’s a lighthearted and easygoing atmosphere, the event has a serious goal- to ease the burden for local families.
Annually, the event gives 250-300 backpacks to kids in need. Over the five years the Medford store ahs had the event, that’s around 1500 total backpacks they’ve given out.
In Nick Bailando’s his five years doing this there’s one family he wont forget. They had six kids. Most families that come usually have two or three. At that backpack giveaway two years ago it wasn’t about who the family’s cell phone provider was, it was about doing something good. The same message Bailando shares with each family, every year.
“I’m not here to talk about Verizon today. I’m here solely to give you this backpack. i just wanna help you out.”
The Verizon store would like to thank the Medford Rogues for their generosity to the giveaway.
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