Volunteers filling backpacks for Back to School Bash

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Dozens of volunteers are stuffing thousands of backpacks with school supplies for this weekend's Back to School Bash at the Citrus Bowl.

The volunteers with Hope Now International set up an assembly line at their facility in Sanford, but stuffing all of the packs could take several hours to complete for the 50 volunteers.

The organization is filling about 7,000 backpacks at the non-air-conditioned warehouse.

"There's a lot of work today," said Edwin Martinex of New Hope. "We're sweating hard getting the backpacks stuffed but the day of the event is so rewarding to see the faces on the kids as they walk in to pick up their backpacks."

For the past three years, the event has been held at the Amway Center but it has been moved to the Citrus Bowl after several sponsors pulled out and the Amway raised its prices.

Fortunately the community pulled together and the event will go on Saturday.

WFTV