Volunteers handed out thousands of backpacks on Saturday to needy families in Syracuse.
/ Katie Corrado
SYRACUSE -- Syracuse's 11th Annual Backpack Giveaway on South Salina Street in Saturday provided thousands of local students with backpacks and school supplies.
Organizers said the event distributed more than 20,000 backpacks to families in need.
The project has grown significantly over the years, and people who once benefitted from the giveaway are now giving back to the initiative.
Event organizer Mary Nelson said families who received school supplies for years have come now to give back. She said they're "paying it forward."
