RICHMOND, Va.— 180,000 face masks and other school supplies will be donated to Richmond Public School students preparing for the new school year.
CoStar Group announced its plans to provide 180,000 masks as part of the third annual Ultimate Backpack Supply Drive.
The event, presented by Costar in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and Communities in Schools, was held at the Diamond on Wednesday, August 26. Organizers collected school supplies and other personal protective equipment kits to ensure that students in the local community are prepared for the school year.
“As one of the largest employers in Richmond, CoStar takes pride in supporting our community’s students,” said Andrew C. Florance, Founder and CEO of CoStar Group. “We believe providing these reusable masks for students will positively reinforce how to operate safely in a COVID-19 environment.”
Half of the masks donated will be included in PPE kits for students. The other half will feature designs created by RPS students during National Arts in Education Week in September. Winners of the “Mighty Mask’ Design challenge be announced at the end of October. The second set of masks featuring those winning designs are expected to be distributed to students later this year.
Over 14,000 backpacks were collected at last year’s Ultimate Backpack Supply Drive event. This year, organizers hope to provide supplies to more than 15,000 children in Richmond.
“Although the students will be learning this upcoming year "virtually", we know that students will still need school supplies to complete their work at home and also the ability to stay safe when they are at home or being outside,” Timmy Nguyen with VCU says.
