Supplied on a Saturday: several school supply drives held in Albuquerque

Outside the arena at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Posse complex on Saturday morning, a long line of families was forming near the entrance gate. Umbrellas dotted the line as they used the shade to keep cool in the summer sun.

Inside, the final touches were being put on the fourth annual Jump In2 School Bash. Cliena Trujillo, the founder and president of the nonprofit of the same name, was giving final instructions to volunteers on a trailer-turned stage. Surrounding it were dozens of vendor tables, each covered with goods for the children.

The main attraction of this event, however, was roughly 2,300 donated backpacks sitting in a pile to be handed out. .

Jump In2 School Bash’s mission is to unite small businesses and communities around the goal of ensuring that every child has the tools and resources to approach the new school year with confidence and dignity. They carry out the mission through the event, where they distribute backpacks to be filled with donations for a better school experience.

“I, myself, was a kid in need that didn’t have nothing growing up,” Trujillo explained. “I grew up in and out of foster care, and I struggled a lot, so I’m trying to do for these kids what I needed done for me.”

As the clock struck noon, the arena gates opened, and the families funneled their way in. At the registration table, each child was given a bracelet and a backpack. From there, they were free to roam and select supplies from the vendor tables.

Free haircuts, food and drinks were available as well. Members of Bernalillo County Fire Rescue, the Sheriff’s Office and Albuquerque Police Department parked several of their public safety vehicles outside and provided tours.

And there was fun — a photo booth staffed with Disney princesses, games for families to play and a foam bath party to help all cool off.

Trujillo estimated roughly 1,500 families attended the bash’s four-hour run.

Elsewhere in Albuquerque, store volunteers from Starbucks and Target locations teamed up to host the second annual All-In School Drive at the Avanyu Plaza. Similar to the bash event, children and families were able to select a free backpack and roam several vendor tables that had goodies for them to put inside.

Promoting resources, such as to boost education and health and combat food insecurity, was the idea. “So we’ve tried to bring together different entities to support these kids,” said Kathryn Erickson, a district manager for Starbucks.

Among the vendors were Roadrunner Food Bank of New Mexico, which was handing out boxes of dried goods, and Starbucks employees, who were supplying snacks. The backpacks given to students were purchased through a grant provided by Target. Target volunteers helped kids pick out a bag.

“Seeing the smile on those kids’ faces when they get to pick their own backpack, I think that just brought a lot of joy to my heart,” said Martha Matthews, senior administrative assistant for Target stores in New Mexico.

Photos: School supply drive Saturday