Brooklyn FC and The Salvation Army teamed up to provide 50 Brooklyn children with backpacks and school supplies while bringing families together for a night of soccer at Maimonides Park.
Photo courtesy of The Salvation Army
For dozens of Brooklyn children, the start of the school year came with a new backpack, a bag full of supplies and a night under the lights at Maimonides Park.
Brooklyn FC teamed up with The Salvation Army of Greater New York on Aug. 29 to help local families get ready for the new school year, inviting children and their parents to the club’s match against Sporting JAX in Coney Island.
As part of the partnership, 50 children from communities across Brooklyn — including Sunset Park and Brownsville — received backpacks filled with essential school supplies.
“We know that preparing for a new school year comes with a lot of added expenses for families. This partnership with Brooklyn FC allowed us to provide children with essential school supplies while also giving them an experience that brought families together,” Rebecca Smith, divisional director of philanthropy for The Salvation Army of Greater New York, said in a statement to Brooklyn Paper. “The children were bursting with excitement as they walked into the stadium wearing their new backpacks ”
The giveaway came as families continue to contend with the cost of everyday necessities, making back-to-school expenses such as notebooks, pencils and backpacks another strain on household budgets.
But organizers aimed to make the event about more than supplies. Children were invited to bring their families to Maimonides Park for an evening of soccer and community, pairing practical back-to-school support with a memorable experience.
More than 100 community members ultimately attended the event, creating an evening centered on families and the start of a new school year.
For at least one child, the night also marked a first: He told organizers it was his first time attending a professional soccer game and said he was so excited that he couldn’t wait to tell all of his friends about the experience.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s efforts, click here.