Detroit Tigers Foundation Hosts Seventh Annual Back-to-School Backpack Bazaar, Presented by Meijer and The Children’s Center

With support from Meijer, the Detroit Tigers Foundation again partnered with The Children’s Center to host the seventh annual Back-to-School Backpack Bazaar on Aug. 12, which donated 2,000 backpacks and school supplies to local youth in need.  

Before the Aug. 12 event, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment colleagues joined representatives from Meijer and The Children’s Center on June 20, June 27 and July 18 to stuff backpacks to be donated to clients, families and communities served by The Children’s Center before the 2025-26 school year.

Backpacks filled with age-appropriate school supplies and a custom, co-branded Tigers x Meijer backpack tag were donated to 750 elementary-school students, 750 middle-school students and 500 high-school students. Students who received backpacks will also be invited to a Tigers game later this season.

The Children’s Center, which was founded in Detroit in 1929, provides behavioral health services, child welfare services and community engagement and advocacy. The organization’s mission is to help children and families shape their own futures.

Desiree Jennings, President and CEO of The Children’s Center, said one in four families are ill-prepared from a funding perspective for their children to go back to school, so the collaboration between the Detroit Tigers Foundation, Meijer and The Children’s Center provides much-needed assistance for thousands of families in the community before each school year.

“The Backpack Bazaar helps parents not have to think financially about getting their kids ready to back to school,” Jennings said about the annual event which began in 2018 with 500 backpack donations. “This event really helps equip them to be ready for school. One less thing for moms and dads and caregivers to worry about. The Tigers Foundation and Meijer taking that load off and helping kids to be ready is a great thing.”

While this is the seventh year of the Backpack Bazaar, it’s the second year that Meijer has been part of this exciting event, donating all the materials being placed in the backpacks as well as the backpacks, themselves.

Coty LaVere, Manager of Community Partnerships and Giving for Meijer, said Meijer appreciates its longstanding partnership with the Tigers, which allows both organizations to make an even bigger impact in the metro Detroit community.

“We’re super excited to be here with The Children’s Center and the Detroit Tigers, distributing backpacks to kids in need across the community,” LaVere said. “As a family company, it’s important for Meijer to support community and be part of events like this. It’s important to partner with organizations like The Children’s Center and the Detroit Tigers, and that’s why we continue to be great partners and have longevity in partnership with the Tigers, because of great events like this one here today.”

Carly Chulock, girlfriend of Tigers pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long, volunteered at the event on Aug. 12 and said she enjoys helping the Detroit Tigers Foundation provide assistance to those in need.

“The joy of volunteering supersedes anything you can do in life,” Chulock said. “Every time I go, I get to see the joy in people’s faces, I get to provide resources for people who really need them and I see how important and valuable that is. Some people just don’t have access to simple things like backpacks and goods for school."

“We want these kids to be successful and feel confident and walk in with their new backpack and be comfortable among their peers and have a good school year. Seeing these kids receive these backpacks, be happy and see the joy from their family members in incomparable, so it’s a great mission and a great effort.”

To learn more about The Children’s Center, visit TheChildrensCenter.com.

To learn more about Meijer’s philanthropic efforts, visit MeijerCommunity.com.