Lerner & Rowe to give away 1,000 backpacks at Yuma fairgrounds

Lerner & Rowe Gives Back will distribute 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to Yuma students at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 11, at the Yuma County Fairgrounds, 2520 E. 32nd St. The giveaway is free, indoor and first-come, first-served, with supplies available until they run out.

The company says the first 1,000 students who attend in person will receive a backpack, and each student must be present to get one. Families are being told to wait in their vehicles until the event starts and to be careful in the parking lot when entering and leaving the fairgrounds.

The Yuma County Fairgrounds, which is governed by Yuma County Fair, Inc., lists the site as a year-round facility. That makes the fairgrounds a familiar landing spot for a summer event that is aimed squarely at helping families get ready for the school year without adding to already crowded household budgets.

Lerner & Rowe says the 2026 backpack campaign will distribute 6,250 backpacks across seven U.S. cities. Yuma is one of the stops, and the company says it handed out 1,000 backpacks in Yuma during last year’s backpack tour. It also describes the Yuma giveaway as one of its largest community events in Arizona.

The scale of the giveaway matters in a place where back-to-school shopping can quickly add up for families with multiple children. A single stop with 1,000 backpacks suggests the demand for help is real, and the first-come, first-served format means parents who want one will need to arrive early and stay until the event begins.

For more information, Lerner & Rowe lists Cindy Ernst and Christa Luirette at (928) 222-2222.