New Bedford Students Receive Backpacks, Positive Messages

Students at Alfred J. Gomes Elementary School and Renaissance Community School for the Arts were treated to a surprise Bag Drop Rally Tuesday afternoon through a partnership between Darn It!, Inc. and State Bags. 

State Bags produces backpacks on a 1:1 business model, where each bag sold means one will be donated to one of their Bag Drop events.

"We like to think that we're amplifying the one for one model," said Scot Tatelman, co-founder of State Bags. "We're not just showing up and handing stuff out but we put on a whole experience."

That experience Tuesday included music, dancing, games and stories of making good choices.

The team traveling with Tatelman, called "Pack Men," told personal stories about making the right choices and furthering their own education and lives.

"These guys speak the mission perfectly because they grew up in similar neighborhoods and conquered really difficult situations," Tatelman said.

Darn It!, Inc. stores State's bags and other products at it's warehouse in the north end of New Bedford, and CEO Jeff Glassman suggested the company host one of its events here in the city.

The rally offered essential school supplies that some students here in the city still don't have.

"Many of our kids don't have backpacks or quality backpacks so this way they can bring their homework to and from school or whatever they need to be ready to learn every day," said Ellyn Gallant, Gomes School principal.

Around 300 of the school's combined 1,000 students attended the rally, though all will receive a donated backpack.