Kukui Grove opens pre-registration for 2,700 school backpacks

Kukui Grove Center has opened online pre-registration for 2,700 backpacks filled with school supplies, giving Kauai families a shot at one of the island’s most practical summer giveaways before classes begin. The event is set for July 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Līhue shopping center.

Pre-registration began July 1 at 9 a.m., and organizers are urging families not to wait. Kukui Grove said the sign-up is meant to make sure a keiki gets at least one backpack, a detail that matters because the event has repeatedly run through supplies early. Last year, the bash sent home 2,500 backpacks.

The timing lines up with the school calendar. Hawaii State Department of Education’s 2026-27 calendar shows the teacher work year begins July 28, 2026, and the student instructional year begins Aug. 3, 2026. That leaves just weeks for parents to cover the costs that come with a new school year, from bags and notebooks to pens, folders, and other basics that can add up quickly for households already balancing summer expenses.

The giveaway has grown sharply since it started 12 years ago with 1,000 backpacks. This year’s total of 2,700 reflects how quickly the event has expanded from a modest effort into a major back-to-school support day for Kauai families. A 2024 report on the packing effort described it as “historic,” with Nelly Caberto of the Kauai Area Complex saying 37 people were signed up to help pack more than 2,700 backpacks at Kukui Grove Center.

Caberto’s team has helped turn the bash into a recurring fixture at the shopping center, where traffic has moved through the pickup area without major incidents in past years. For families in Līhue, Kapaa, Kōloa and other parts of the island, the practical calculus is simple: register early, or risk missing out as supplies go fast.