There are moments when a simple act of generosity takes on a meaning far greater than anyone could have anticipated. Sometimes, the impact of a backpack begins long before a student ever carries it into a classroom. It can begin with a community choosing to show up—and show support at just the right moment.

For the fifth year, Toyota and its nationwide network of dealerships have come together through Toyota’s Big Summer Giveback to help students begin the year on the right foot by providing backpacks filled with essential school supplies. Year after year, this partnership has grown into something bigger—what started as an effort to help students feel prepared for the first day of school has grown into a community driven initiative that has now helped more than 300,000 students nationwide. It’s a reminder to students, teachers and families that they are seen, cared for and supported.

And that support is there when it is needed most.

This year, that support came into focus in a particularly powerful way at Cora B. Darling Elementary in Postville, Iowa. The school was eager and excited to put them into the hands of students—but the timing of their arrival would soon take on a deeper meaning for their community.

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For Cora B. Darling Elementary, the start of the school year was rung in with a donation of over 400 backpacks provided through Kansas City Regional dealerships participating in Toyota’s Big Summer Giveback. The backpacks arrived, each filled with essential school supplies, ready to give students a strong start and help ease some of the back-to-school costs families carry each year. It was a meaningful donation on its own—but for the Postville community, the timing of that delivery carried a weight no one could have anticipated.

In late July, a devastating fire destroyed much of a major meat and poultry processing plant, one of the area’s largest employers, leaving hundreds of workers without jobs and creating uncertainty for families throughout the surrounding community.

Amid that uncertainty, Karen Hertges—principal of Cora B. Darling Elementary—reached out to share her gratitude for the donation and share insight to just how much the moment meant.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we had a devastating fire at our largest employer in the county, located in Postville. Many of our families will be out of work for the foreseeable future. Some of our families have both parents employed there.

This donation, and its timing, is beyond coincidence.”

The backpacks could never erase what happened to the Postville community. But they could provide something tangible: supplies in a backpack, ready for a child to carry into the classroom; a practical expense lifted from a family’s shoulders; and a small reminder that, even in difficult moments, there are people and organizations willing to show up.

Five years in and that is still the heart of the Big Summer Giveback. Because of ongoing and growing support, Toyota’s partnership with KINF meant thousands of backpacks made their way to schools across the country. And while each one carried school supplies, they also carried an impact that can’t be measured with numbers: the feeling of being supported. And in Postville, 410 backpacks arrived with a message that feels especially powerful—you are not alone, and your community is still showing up.

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National in Scale. Local in Impact. 

Postville is one example of how this partnership’s national reach translates into meaningful local impact, encapsulating how showing up for students can make a difference for entire communities. 

Since 2022, the initiative has generated more than $8.5 million in cumulative donations and critical back-to-school support. In 2026, the Big Summer Giveback reached its largest year yet, with more than 680 Toyota dealerships participating nationwide, including more than 65 Platinum dealerships providing $10,000 in direct support and hosting local backpack distribution events. Together, this unprecedented level of participation helped provide essential school supplies to more than 100,000 students in a single year, making 2026 the biggest year of student impact in Big Summer Giveback history.

Through more than 60 interviews with Toyota teams and educators at Platinum-level events across the country, we captured authentic stories about confidence, belonging, relief, connection and the power of showing up for students. These voices gave the campaign a human dimension that numbers alone could not convey and helped demonstrate how Toyota’s dealership network is turning a national initiative into hundreds of meaningful local connections in the community. 

THE IMPACT IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Watch Toyota dealerships, educators and students bring the Big Summer Giveback to life across the country.

“This initiative has strengthened our connection to the community and created opportunities for our employees to get involved in something meaningful. It brings our team together around a shared purpose and allows us to build relationships with local schools, educators, and families.”

— Courtney Taylor, Marketing Manager, Ourisman Toyota of Richmond

“We wanted to make a real commitment to the school and to the community. And after, you know, many years, you start to feel that you’re part of something bigger.”
— Randy Uyehara, Service Director, Toyota of Downtown LA

“We got to actually see some of these kids grow up, and we got to see their journey through school. Now, four years in, I’m seeing these little first graders that are now big guys just walking down the halls, and it’s really cool to see them in their journey, and makes it that much more special to be part of this program.”

— Meghan Simpson, Chief Marketing Officer, LA Car Guy, Toyota of Hollywood

A LEGACY OF GREAT FIRST DAYS

The Big Summer Giveback continues to show what is possible when a national commitment is brought to life locally. Together, Toyota and Kids In Need Foundation are building a Legacy of Great First Days, helping create moments where families can breathe a little easier, students can walk through the doors with confidence and every child can feel ready to be part of what comes next.