25,000 backpacks given out to students at Mayor's Back to School Fest

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Tens of thousands of backpacks filled with school supplies were handed out to children at various school supply drives on Saturday.

At the Houston Children's Charity drive, 3,500 backpacks were handed out. Since 2005, the group said it's supplied low-income children with 46,000 backpacks.

"It helps me out a lot 'cause right now we don't have money to buy school supplies," Margaret Derozan, a mother of five, said.

"It's one less thing that they have to dig into their wallets for," LeAnn Kaczynski with Houston Children's Charity said. "People are struggling buying food, the cost of groceries going up so much over the last few years."

At the Mayor's Back to School Fest at the George R. Brown Convention Center, 25,000 backpacks were handed out Saturday.

"I'm happy so I can get my new stuff and I can show off my new stuff," Mason Muhammed, who's entering the third grade, said.

"I think it's so important for children to get their education, to have the tools that they need 'cause we have some parents that just can't afford it," volunteer Kesha Tucker said.

"Some people don't be able to get backpacks," volunteer Clarissa Dean said. "Some children ain't be able to get anything they giving here."

At an event hosted by the Harris County Clerk's Office, parents were able to pick up copies of their children's birth certificates in time for the start of school.

The $23 fee was waived for the first 100 parents who showed up.

"$23 might not be a big deal to you or me," Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said. "We might spend that on lunch. But for a family of four or five that needs those vital records, it adds up very quickly."

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