AUGUSTA, Maine — The Augusta Civic Center hosted hundreds of families Sunday for a backpack giveaway.
Families were eager to get inside and take advantage of the annual event, which spans well beyond backpacks.
"It's going to be important, I might cry," Jennah Dumont said. Dumont is a student at Skowhegan Area Middle School but is also a volunteer for the Greater Augusta Back to School Program.
"This is really important for people to come here and get it for free because if people don't have enough money they can come here... It's really important because kids need free stuff."
Dumont is one of many students, teachers, and parents volunteering for the program, which is in its sixth year as of Sunday.
Mike Michaud is the director of the program and said the first year started with just 150 backpacks compared to how much they give away now.
"We were going to do a one-and-done and then it grew to this, we'll probably be giving out over a thousand backpacks today," Michaud said. "The whole community is here... teachers and people in the community, we want these kids to succeed, they are the future."
Michaud said he hopes the program grows to help all families in need.
"We're hopefully going to continue to do this until there is no more need... so probably long after I'm gone but hopefully not," Michaud said.
One family in need includes Anthony Gushue and his children.
While his young daughter got her face painted by a volunteer, Gushue said the giveaway is much needed.
"It helps me out a lot because it's either I chose to pay my rent or chose to get school supplies, times are tough," Gushue said. "We're going to hit up the whole shebang... we're here to take part in all of it."
Children were able to get haircuts for free along with grocery bags filled with back-to-school snacks.