By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – While the average family spends more than $800 on back-to-school shopping, according to the National Retail Federation, some Tucson students are heading into the school year with free supplies.
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Lerner & Rowe held a backpack giveaway at the Tucson Convention Center, distributing free backpacks filled with school supplies and new tennis shoes to at least 500 attendees.
One income, six kids
Lizette Lavander, a mother of six, said she spends around $100 per child on school supplies. With Lavander currently in nursing school and the family down to one income, she said the financial pressure has grown.
“Especially this year, since I’m going to school, I’m not working, so this is where it’s been a little harder for me,” Lavander said.
She said the giveaway frees up money for other needs. “It gives me a little more spending on uniforms than actual supplies,” she said.
About the giveaway
Cindy Ernst, treasurer of the Lerner & Rowe Foundation, said the organization holds the event annually in multiple states.
“We really want to give back, we want the kids to have a good start of school, and we know that it is really difficult right now,” Ernst said.
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Ernst said new supplies make a difference for students. “When they get to go to school with new backpacks, new supplies, that’s exciting for them,” she said.
Upcoming events
The Tucson Convention Center hosts three free events of this kind in July. Two additional events are scheduled this month:
- Badges and Backpacks (Pima County Sheriff’s Department) — July 23
- Arizona Bilingual Kidz Expo — July 30
Lerner & Rowe will also hold another giveaway in Glendale on Friday.
Isabela Lisco is a Report for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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