BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:114@aboveboardchamber.com DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20140727T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20140727T150000 DTSTAMP:20140731T205208Z URL:https://www.aboveboardchamber.com/events/the-multicultural-centre-of-s outhwest-floridas-big-backpack-event-set-to-distribute-free-backpacks-and- school-supplies-to-a-record-2500-students/ SUMMARY:The Multicultural Centre of Southwest Florida’s BIG Backpack Even t set to distribute free backpacks and school supplies to a record 2\,500 students DESCRIPTION:Leonardo Garcia\, founder of The Multicultural Centre of Southw est Florida\, is pleased to announce that the organization’s 15th Annual Big Backpack Event\, held this Sunday\, July 27th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.\ , will serve a record number of students. Celebrating 15 years and 30\,000 smiles in 2014\, the committee is gearing up for their biggest giveaway e ver. The first 2\,500 students ages 5-12 will receive free backpacks and s chool supplies thanks to dedicated sponsors\, event committee members and volunteers.\n\n“It is the dedicated support of our event committee and s ponsors that make it possible for us to celebrate our 15th year serving st udents in need\,” says Leonardo Garcia. “In our first year we served 1 00 students\, then 500\, 1\,000 and 2\,000+ in consecutive years\, but thi s year for our 15th anniversary\, we are proud to serve a record 2\,500 st udents in need.”\n\nThe Big Backpack Event is free to the community and will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday\, July 27 at the Harborsi de Event Center in downtown Fort Myers. Guests will enjoy live multicultur al youth entertainment on the main stage\, including hip-hop\, salsa\, and Irish step dance. There will be inflatable bounce houses and slides\, fac e painting\, a book mobile\, haircuts and fingerprinting. More than fifty vendors will offer other giveaways\, games and items for sale\, including uniforms\, pens\, pencils\, educational products\, healthcare\, books\, an d more.\n\nThe BIG Backpack Event is hosted every year by the Multicultura l Centre of Southwest Florida to celebrate diversity in our community whil e supporting students and families in need. School supplies and backpacks can add up to big money that families simply do not have. The Multicultura l Centre of Southwest Florida wants to make sure every student regardless of income or race has a new backpack and school supplies\, and can start t he first day of school with a smile\, confidence and pride.\n\nConnie Ramo s-Williams\, who has served as a volunteer and an event organizer for The Big Backpack Event for the past 14-years\, states\, “Although employment numbers are down from last year\, an estimated 80% of students enrolled i n Lee County public schools qualify for free or reduced lunches.” She ex plains\, “This means the majority of families in our community qualify f or assistance\, and The BIG Backpack Event can provide these families with the assistance they need this time of year.”\n\nThe emcees this year in clude Patrick Nolan\, Fox 4 News\; Jackie Figueroa\, ACCION HISPANA Telemu ndo\; Lorena Placencia\, Mundo Fox (Wink-TV)\; Mayela Rosales\, Univision/ Azteca America. Event sponsors include Cricket\, BB&\;T\, Jason’s Del i\, City of Fort Myers\, Lee County Public Schools\, Harborside Event Cent er\, Hispanic American Business Alliance (HABA)\, CONRIC PR &\; Marketi ng\, Fuller Online Solutions\, The News-Press Media Group\, Family News\, Mundo Fox\, Beasley Broadcast Group\, CTN 10\, Accion Hispana\, Univision\ , D’Latinos\, Azteca\, Exitos\, Imagen Semanel\, Telemundo.\n\nFor more information on how to become an event sponsor\, adopt a student\, vendor o r volunteer\, please email info@multiculturalcentre.org or visit www.multi culturalcentre.org.\n\nMulticultural Centre of Southwest Florida\nThe Mult icultural Centre of Southwest Florida is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization established in Fort Myers with the purpose of promoting prog rams aimed at bringing people of different cultures together and of cultur ally linking Southwest Florida with other communities around the world. Fo r more information visit http://www.multiculturalcentre.org. LOCATION:Harborside Event Center\, 1375 Monroe Street \, Fort Myers\, FL\, 33901\, United States GEO:26.6441575;-81.87222680000002 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=1375 Monroe Street \, Fort Myers\, FL\, 33901\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Harborside E vent Center:geo:26.6441575,-81.87222680000002 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20140309T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR