BALDWIN PARK – Baldwin Park Unified students from Margaret Heath Elementary, Pleasant View Elementary, Jones Junior High School and Sierra Vista High School started the 2019-20 school year with new backpacks filled with grade-specific school supplies thanks to a long-standing partnership with Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Baldwin Park.

For the 10-year anniversary of Kaiser’s annual Backpack and School Supply Donation campaign, doctors, surgeons, nurses and other hospital employees donated more than 900 backpacks – with 630 bags going to the elementary schools, 150 to the junior high and 135 for Sierra Vista High School.

John Nguyen, an emergency room physician at Kaiser, has participated in the donation campaign with his wife, Ahn, since it began in 2009. This year, the Nguyen family donated 200 backpacks – complete with school supplies that included notebooks, binders, colored pencils, crayons and folders.

“We love being able to participate in this event and give back to the children in our community,” Nguyen said.

Pleasant View Elementary School opened its doors to more than 100 students on Aug. 14, with students searching through a multitude of backpacks to find their favorite one. Separated by grade level, the backpacks ranged from purple bags with cat mermaids to camo prints and from cheetah prints to superheroes.

The District partnered with Kaiser Permanente to ensure students begin the school year equipped with the tools necessary to succeed. Each year, three different schools are selected for the giveaway.

PHOTOS

KAISER_BACKPACK_1: Students from Pleasant View Elementary School searched for their perfect backpacks on Aug. 14 during Kaiser Permanente’s 10th annual Backpack and School Supply Donation campaign.

KAISER_BACKPACK_2: Representatives from Kaiser Permanente helped Baldwin Park Unified students choose their new backpacks during Kaiser Permanente’s 10th annual Backpack Giveaway on Aug. 14.