LPS staff, students raise money for community's hungry

BackPack Extra Mile Walk 2019 on April 27 raised more than $180,000 to help ease hunger in our community, which means in 12 years of the event Lincoln Public Schools employees and students have raised almost $2 million for the BackPack Program.

“Lincoln Public Schools believes in giving back – for what our community gives to us,” LPS Superintendent Steve Joel said at the event Saturday at Lincoln East High School, noting we have provided countless children with backpacks of food to keep their families fed over the weekends. 

The BackPack program is a partnership with the Food Bank of Lincoln, providing a weekly backpack filled with food for students who need help in having enough to eat over the weekend. 

“We want to express our gratitude to LPS schools, teachers, students, administrators and staff,” said Scott Young, executive director of the Food Bank.  “These are all of our children.”

There are two major goals of the annual walk:

• Educating our community about the needs of children at LPS.
• Raising money for this valuable program.

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