Every student at Juniper Elementary and Bear Creek Elementary, both Bend-La Pine schools, will receive a free backpack filled with supplies this year.

The free supplies are thanks to American Licorice Co. The Bend-based company donated $70,000 to Kids in Need Foundation, which purchased the school supplies with the money. The nonprofit, which works in locations across the country, has sent out more than 27,000 school supply kits for the coming school year, 1,039 of which will go to the two Bend schools.

The elementary students in Bend can collect their free backpacks at back-to-school barbecues: on Aug. 31 at Juniper and Sept. 1 at Bear Creek. Students who cannot attend those events can pick up backpacks on the first day of school.

The donation is a boon for other schools in the district, said Dana Arnston, the district’s federal services director. Other businesses, agencies and individuals around Central Oregon often donate school supplies to the district, Arnston said.

“What this allows us to do is take those other resources available to us and shift them to other schools,” she said.

The backpacks include folders, construction paper, crayons, pencils and notebooks. The gift is part of American Licorice’s increased local philanthropic efforts, and similar donations were made for schools in towns where the company manufactures candy, according to Laurel Weiland, the company’s corporate social responsibility manager.

After researching several nonprofits, American Licorice employees picked Kids in Need. Then the company picked the two elementary schools based on several factors, including what schools had the most students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, Weiland said.

In 2010-11, Bear Creek and Juniper had the most eligible elementary-aged students in Bend-La Pine Schools, according to Oregon Department of Education data.

“They were the schools we thought had the biggest need,” Weiland said.

The company focused on elementary schools at the foundation’s advice, Weiland said.

Though it is unsure of a reason, the foundation believes elementary students tend to need more supplies than older students, according to Kids in Need Managing Director Penny Hawk.

“We have decided getting supplies to children earlier in education careers is very important,” Hawk said.

Though American Licorice employees will give out the backpacks, the company’s visibility in the effort will not go beyond that, Weiland said. The backpacks, for example, will not have any of the company’s branding, she said.

“It’s just a free backpack,” Weiland said. “There’s no marketing effort involved, no product samples or anything like that.”

What’s inside?

Students at Juniper and Bear Creek elementaries this year will receive a free backpack filled with school supplies. Here’s what will be included:

Grades k-2

• 3 folders

• Spiral notebook

• Pack of construction paper

• Box of 24 crayons

• 12 No. 2 pencils

• 4 oz. bottle of glue

• 2 glue sticks

• 2 erasers

• Pair of blunt-tip scissors

• 12-inch ruler

• Pencil sharpener

• 2 red pens

• 3 blue pens

Grades 3-5

• 2 folders

• 2 spiral notebooks

• Box of 24 crayons

• 12 No. 2 pencils

• 2 glue sticks

• 2 erasers

• Pair of pointed-tip scissors

• 12-inch ruler

• Yellow highlighter

• Pencil sharpener

• 3 red pens

• 3 blue pens