Kids In Need Foundation launches Team Tackle initiative with Backpack Blitz

Backpack build to feature local sports heroes, students as they build 5,000 backpacks filled with supplies to support kids in under-resourced schools

Philadelphia, Penn. (Sept. 18, 2023) – Kids In Need Foundation will launch a new initiative, Team Tackle, on Tuesday, Sept. 19 in Philadelphia. At Backpack Blitz 2023, Kids In Need Foundation will team up with Philadelphia linebacker Nakobe Dean, select teammates, and local students to assemble 5,000 backpacks filled with core school supplies for local students in under-resourced schools. Quarterback Marcus Mariota, and tackle Fred Johnson will join Dean at the event. 


The event will take place at Bridesburg Boys & Girls Club (2901 Bridge St., Philadelphia, PA 19137) from 4:00-5:30 p.m..
Five Below and E-Clips USA will provide support and supplies for the build. 


Team Tackle is an initiative that brings professional football players together with Kids In Need Foundation (KINF) to raise visibility and support for every child in America to have equal opportunity and resources to engage in a quality education. Committed to supporting kids impacted by the Opportunity Gap, Team Tackle is an initiative of Kids In Need Foundation to support and inspire students in under-resourced schools in communities that have influenced their lives and careers. 


“The Opportunity Gap in education, defined by the circumstances a child is born into – such as race, ethnicity, ZIP code, and socioeconomic status – should not determine the standard of their educational experience,” said Corey Gordon, CEO of Kids In Need Foundation. “By raising awareness and support for students impacted by the Opportunity Gap, Team Tackle illustrates that no matter what team you normally cheer for, we can come together to level the playing field in education. As public figures and professional athletes, the members of Team Tackle have a unique ability to inspire support for students across the country, and we are thrilled to have them involved in such an important cause.”


KINF is the only national nonprofit that strategically focuses its efforts in schools in the nation’s most underserved communities, those with a student enrollment of 70 percent or more eligible to receive free or reduced meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). For more information about the KINF and its programs, please visit www.kinf.org. 

 

About Kids In Need Foundation:

Kids In Need Foundation helps create equitable learning spaces through the distribution of supplies and resources, investing in teachers and students in underserved schools. With the belief that every child in America should have equal opportunity and resources to engage in a quality education, Kids In Need Foundation focuses its programs and initiatives on teachers and students most under-resourced, those where 70 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-cost meals through the National School Lunch Program. In 2022, through its programs, National Network of Resource Centers, and coast-to-coast local partners, Kids In Need Foundation and our national network supported over 7.7 million students and 333,169 teachers in 17,472 under-resourced schools, with KINF distributing more than $143 million in free school supplies and classroom resources nationwide at no cost to schools or teachers. For more information, visit KINF.org, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter: @KidsInNeed.

 

About Five Below:

Five Below is a leading high-growth value retailer offering trend-right, high-quality products loved by tweens, teens and beyond. We believe life is better when customers are free to “let go & have fun” in an amazing experience filled with unlimited possibilities. With most items priced between $1 and $5, and some extreme value items priced beyond $5 in our incredible Five Beyond offering, Five Below makes it easy to say YES! to the newest, coolest stuff across eight awesome Five Below worlds: Style, Room, Sports, Tech, Create, Party, Candy and New & Now. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Five Below today has over 1,400 stores in 43 states. For more information, please visit www.fivebelow.com or find Five Below on Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook @FiveBelow.

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