Councilwoman Betty Guardado hosts backpack drive, organizers report more than 1,000 packs

Councilwoman Betty Guardado opened a community backpack distribution event by announcing that the organizers had "over a thousand backpacks" filled with school supplies and thanking sponsors and volunteers.

"Hello, everyone. I'm councilwoman Betty Guardado," she said at the start of her remarks, adding that the drive was the fifth such effort and expressing hope that children would have a good school year. Guardado said the packs include "notebooks, with little pads, with pens, with pencils."

Guardado thanked a range of contributors by name, including "Local 4 93," the "firefighters foundation" and IBM, and acknowledged volunteer hairstylists providing free haircuts, as well as Southwest Gas and local schools. She specifically named Cartwright and Alhambra in thanking the school-district partners and volunteers who helped bring children to the event.

Organizers set the event to run until 9 p.m. Guardado closed by encouraging families to take advantage of the free supplies and services and by thanking sponsors and volunteers for making the distribution possible.