Twin Cities Teen Donates Thousands Of Backpacks To Children

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Kids in need of supplies for the upcoming school year got help Saturday thanks to the efforts of a Twin Cities teen.

Thirteen-year-old Mandi Simon, along with hundreds of volunteers, spent the day preparing school bags for students around Minnesota. In assembly line fashion, they filled backpacks with items like folders, pens and paper.

Five years ago, Simon gave away just a few school bags. Now it's grown to more than 18,000. And the volunteers that help aren't just adults.

"It's really cool to know that other kids my age want to help kids that are the same age range," Simon said.

Simon set a goal to donate 10,000 backpacks this school year. With just about a month left, she still needs to raise enough money for about 3,000 bags.

If you'd like to help, click here.