SPRINGDALE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Tyson Foods and the Samaritan Community Center teamed up on Saturday for the 21st Annual Fresh Start: BackPacks for Kids event at Arvest Ballpark.

4,000 students from low-income families throughout Northwest Arkansas received backpacks filled with notebooks, binders, colored pencils, markers, and more to get them ready to start the new school year.

The Samaritan Community Center had been handing out tickets since June for the event to students and all they had to do was show the ticket to receive a backpack with supplies.

“It takes a lot of planning and organizing to make this event happen for 4,000 students. It’s a year-round process, but it’s worth every minute to make sure these children are prepared and ready to learn on the first day of school,” said Shannon Green, Business Development Manager at Samaritan Community Center.

Green continued by saying that the event was meant to “help lighten the financial burden for families that may not be able to afford a new backpack and school supplies.”