Durham Nonprofit Delivers 750 Bookbags to Students Door-to-Door
The 5K Foundation's fifth annual back-to-school giveaway drew a Durham police escort, Durham Bulls mascot Wool E. Bull, and 100 backpacks donated personally by Duke guard Deron Rippey Jr.
The 5K Foundation, a Durham nonprofit, distributed roughly 750 backpacks filled with school supplies door-to-door across several Durham neighborhoods on Saturday, Aug. 8, according to ABC11/WTVD. The Durham Police Department provided an escort for the volunteers making the deliveries.
Durham Bulls mascot Wool E. Bull joined the effort, and Duke men's basketball guard Deron Rippey Jr. personally donated 100 of the backpacks and took part in the giveaway. "Just being able to get back to community, to give them hope, inspiration, and just make sure to head in the right direction," Rippey said, according to ABC11.
The 5K Foundation, founded in Durham in 2015, says its mission is to empower youth in underserved communities through mentorship, tutoring and athletic programs while working to reduce gun and gang violence, according to the organization's website. The foundation says it has served more than 1,000 young people in Durham since its founding, an effort that began as a Christmas gift giveaway before expanding into year-round programming. "The mission is to provide essential resources for families in underserved communities," 5K Foundation's Chris Kenan said, according to ABC11.
Saturday's giveaway was the fifth consecutive year the 5K Foundation has held the event. The foundation promoted the giveaway on its social media channels as a "Back to School Drive," conducted in partnership with Suggs & Sons Storage.