TAMPA, Fla. — The Bullard Family Foundation hosted its annual Back to School Bash at Raymond James Stadium, offering thousands of free backpacks and school-year services to Tampa Bay families preparing for class.
The foundation, created by Thaddeus Bullard, who is better known as WWE legend Titus O’Neil, had 30,000 backpacks available for families. The event also included free haircuts, eye exams, and health physicals.
Sarah Anes, a parent who attended the event with her son, Micah, said the support helps families manage the cost of back-to-school needs.
“I think it’s really cool that they are helping the community by giving out stuff that helps us when it comes to going back to school,” Anes said.
Anes, who has three sons and is a former foster mother, said school supplies can become expensive throughout the year.
“Throughout the school year, it’s like you’re always buying something,” Anes said. “It’s nice in the beginning to have a little bit of help when you’re also trying to buy shoes and clothes, and you want to make sure you can take care of your teachers.”
Volunteers helped distribute the backpacks and supplies during the event. Gabor Coppany, who said this is his fourth year volunteering, said preparation included organizing supplies before the bash.
A Bay area child is all smiles after receiving a backpack during the Bullard Family Foundation’s Back-to-School Bash at Raymond James Stadium. (Spectrum News/Randy Levine)
Coppany said seeing children choose their own backpacks makes the work worthwhile.
“They’ll grab a backpack and maybe their brother or sister might grab the same color, so they want to trade it in and get something different,” Coppany said. “Not a problem at all — we let them do what they want.”
The event is in its ninth year and is designed as a one-stop option for families looking for school supplies and basic services before the start of the school year.
“It’s really cool to have events like this so that there aren’t kids that are going to class that don’t have what they need,” Anes said.