Project Backpack was created on Sept. 2, 2005, in Bethesda, Maryland by three young girls in response to Hurricane Katrina. Concerned about the children in the Gulf States who lost their homes and everything else, the girls decided to collect backpacks filled with school supplies, art supplies, and anything that children would need or want to help them through an extremely difficult transition.
Project Backpack quickly became a grassroots effort across the country. On Sept. 7, I organized Oak Park to join the effort. The original goal for Illinois was to collect and distribute 1,000 backpacks to the children in the Gulf States. However, inside of one month, Oak Park, River Forest and the surrounding communities helped to make a significant contribution to the over 3,300 backpacks, and 90 boxes of school supplies, teacher supplies, toys, baby items, and books collected across the state. Our donations were recently transported in two 53-foot trucks to Waveland, Ocean Springs, and Biloxi, Miss., for distribution directly to kids.
On behalf of Project Backpack, Oak Park, I am writing to thank the many generous individuals, businesses and organizations for their time and effort in making contributions to Project Backpack as follows:
For providing drop-off locations, thanks to: The Oak Park Fire Department Main Station, Deputy Chief Tom Ebsen, and every firefighter who helped me (over)load my Mini Cooper with backpacks; Bill David, of Sign Express, Oak Park, who also donated signage; Tony and Stan of Oak Park Vacuum; Trinity High School, River Forest and Assistant Principal Meg Bigane; and Sandy Muellner, of Chicago’s Galewood neighborhood.
For donation of time and supplies: Dianna Cramer, Oak Park, for design of the flyer and poster; HQ Printers, Chicago, for flyer printing; and U-Haul, Forest Park, for donation of boxes.
For generous backpack and supplies donations: Wonder Works Children’s Museum and Shira Belenke, for donation of toys to fill backpacks; Marion Digre and the entire office of ReMax in the Village Realtors for a generous donation of 16 backpacks; Marrey Picciotti and the Horace Mann Elementary School PTO, parents and children for a drive resulting in school and baby supplies and books; the teachers, parents, and children of Whittier Elementary School, in particular Kerri Druckmiller, Camaro Powers and Beth Sagal for spearheading the collection of 42 backpacks, in addition to separate school and teacher supplies; Ann Ryan for organizing the members of three Brownie and Girl Scout Troupes at Hatch Elementary School for 17 backpacks; and Terri Evon of River Forest, who, along with her children, raised money to contribute backpacks and other supplies.
For transportation to our collection center in New Lenox, people-power, ideas and support: Bonnie Jackson, Andon T. Davis, Jr., Michael Miller, Dianna Cramer, Sandy Muellner, Beth Sagal and Jenny Luebbe.
Finally, thanks to all of the local businesses who posted my flyer and all of the anonymous donors who made this project a great success. To find out more about Project Backpack, check the national website: and our local website for updates and soon-to-be-posted photos of our distribution in Mississippi.
Debbie Borman
Project Backpack Oak Park