Share Our Selves makes sure kids go back to school prepared

First-grader Sandra Morales, 6 is proud of her new Hello Kitty backpack that she received during Share Our Selves' 20th annual Back to School event Saturday at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa.

Aug. 29, 2015 4:51 PM PT

About 3,800 local students from low-income families are ready to go back to school after getting a big hand Saturday from Share Our Selves, a Costa Mesa-based nonprofit.

For the 20th year, the community service organization presented backpacks and other school supplies to kids who had registered for the event at The Crossing Church in Costa Mesa.

Activities also included dancing, painting and a photo booth where kids could dress up to reflect what they want to be when they grow up.

Share Our Selves estimates it has given out 25,000 backpacks since the program started in 1995.

One thousand of the backpacks distributed Saturday were donated by Huntington Beach-based Reyes Holdings, which also donated 12,000 square feet of warehouse space to help store the school supplies.

More than 130,000 items were donated by Orange County Fair guests through the fair’s We Care Wednesday Back to School Drive on Aug. 12, Share Our Selves said.

— Rob Vardon