Yuma seeks school supply donations for 2,000 backpacks
Yuma needs supplies to fill 2,000 backpacks for its biggest Back to School Rodeo yet, and donations run through the end of June.
The City of Yuma is asking businesses, clubs and residents to help fill 2,000 backpacks for the 2026 Back to School Rodeo, the largest supply giveaway in the event’s 11-year history. Organizers say the drive is meant to make sure children start school with the basics while easing the pressure on families already balancing rent, utilities, transportation and other bills.
The city is looking for one-subject notebooks, red and blue folders, erasers, pencils and other school essentials that can be packed before the event. Donations will be accepted through the end of June, and Brissa Garcia, the city’s events coordinator, is the contact for potential sponsors at Brissa.Garcia@yumaaz.gov or 928-373-5028. City officials say the backpacks are possible thanks to community sponsors.
The Back to School Rodeo is scheduled for Saturday, July 12, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Yuma Civic Center, 1440 W. Desert Hills Dr. The city says the first 2,000 students in kindergarten through eighth grade will receive a free backpack with school supplies, one per child, and the child must be present to receive it.
The scale of the giveaway reflects how many local families depend on support like this. Yuma County had an estimated population of 224,449 on July 1, 2025, and 24.0% of residents were under 18, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The county is also majority Hispanic or Latino, at 66.1%, and the median gross rent was $993, figures that help explain why even modest school costs can strain household budgets.
The need has only grown more expensive. The National Education Association says typical school supplies cost an average of 7.3% more for the 2025-26 school year than the year before. United Way of Yuma County, which has run its own backpack and school-supply effort since 1999, says local groups have stepped up with their own drives while teachers continue paying out of pocket for classroom supplies. In Yuma, the annual rodeo has become one of the few places where civic groups, businesses and neighbors can combine efforts to meet that demand at a citywide scale.
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