When sixth-grader Ciella Burke set out on a journey to help parents offset back-to-school expenses, she probably didn’t think that seven years later, her younger sister Saige Farley would be following in her footsteps. But that’s just what’s happened.

Saige Farley is now a sophomore and is directing the Backpacks for Kids program. The program provides backpacks and school supplies for students at six elementary schools and Thunderbolt Middle School.

Over the past six years, the program has filled more than 1,500 backpacks for community students and Saige Farley hopes to break that record by filling 2,000 backpacks.

She will collect both monetary and supply donations until a few weeks before the first day of school and then deliver the filled backpacks to schools.

Among supplies needed to fill the backpacks include pencils, pens, highlighters, pocket folders, erasers, pencil sharpeners, markers, crayons, colored pencils, pencil boxes/bags, scissors, glue bottles/sticks, rulers, notebooks, binders, lined paper, calculators, protractors, dry erase markers and more.

For information on how to donate or request a backpack, visit the website at youcaring.com/backpacksforkids. Supply and monetary donations are accepted at Carefree-LaFiesta, 2079 McCulloch Blvd., North No. 1. Donations can also be made on the website or pick-up can be arranged by calling 928-412-7509. Backpacks for Kids is a 501c3 certified nonprofit organization.