CASS COUNTY, Mich. -- United Way of Southwest Michigan has held their School Supply Spectacular for over 10 years, giving Cass County kids in grades K through 12 backpacks filled with age-appropriate supplies.

Registered families come to a school, get a card for their child’s grade, and then find the color coordinating section and choose any backpack they’d like. The Wednesday spectacular at Marcellus High School held 130 of the 850 backpacks they plan to give away.

Organizers say having a backpack with everything you need allows the kids to be more confident for the school year. They also say it relieves the financial burden on parents and teachers. Some families have used this program every year that it's run.

"There is a need, we find that need is greater and greater each year.” Said Morgan Jewell, the volunteer coordinator for United Way, “We start registration usually at the end of June, and we sell out within a couple of weeks. So those registrations come in quick the first day. So, yeah, there's definitely a need. There’s a lot of financial strain on families, and we know especially the first day of school can be scary for kids. And we want to make sure they have the tools to make them prepared going into that first day of school.”

Some kids even got bags with golden tickets and were able to take home snacks to have after school. If you did not register, but your child needs a backpack, all extra bags will be donated to Cass County schools.