Head to Walmart in Durango on August 8!
With a new school year on the horizon, many families in La Plata County are facing rising costs as they prepare their children for the classroom.
Basic supplies like backpacks and pencils aren’t always financially within reach for students, particularly those in low-income or transitional households.
This summer, the Back 2 School Supply Drive steps in to help fill that gap. In 2025, the School Supply Drive helped 250 children with backpacks and supplies.
Set for Saturday, August 8, 2026, this back-to-school donation event welcomes all who want to contribute. Hosted by Hutton Broadcasting and benefiting the La Plata Family Centers Coalition (LPFCC), the drive is a direct way to support La Plata County students and their right to a well-equipped education. Don’t miss live coverage from 99.7 Radio Free Durango and 92.9 / 107.9 The Point, which will be reporting live throughout the day.
As economic hardship continues to affect working families across the region, events like this provide essential supplies while also creating a sense of stability during uncertain times. The school supply drive Durango residents have come to know is a community tradition built on practical action.
Event Details and Participation
Where: Walmart parking lot in Durango
Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Attending the event is simple. There’s no registration, no sign-up form, and no barriers. Just bring new, unused school supplies and stop by the collection point during the posted hours.
This Durango back-to-school event is structured to be welcoming and efficient. A tent and collection area will be staffed by volunteers and radio personnel, making it easy to drop off donations, ask questions, or even just learn more about the cause.
How the Back 2 School Drive Helps Local Students
As the designated nonprofit partner, the La Plata Family Centers Coalition (LPFCC) ensures that every item donated reaches a student who needs it. LPFCC serves families throughout the region with a range of services, from early childhood education resources to basic needs support and emergency response.
According to the organization’s website, LPFCC’s mission is to form “respectful, productive family partnerships that create thriving, empowered individuals who are self-reliant and who envision a hopeful future for themselves, their families, and their communities.”
During the supply drive, LPFCC staff and volunteers coordinate the intake, sorting, and distribution of materials, ensuring that all donations are inventoried and delivered directly to local students facing financial hardship.
The support for students in need includes everything from paper and pens to backpacks and notebooks. Each item helps reduce stigma, build confidence, and keep the focus on learning instead of what’s missing.
What to Bring to the Donation Site
The school supply list includes many different items to support what students use in class. Only new, unused items will be accepted, and all donations will be collected on-site by volunteers. If you’re considering what to bring, here are the most requested school supply drive items:
- Backpacks (elementary and middle school sizes)
- Spiral notebooks and composition books
- Pencils, pens, and colored pencils
- Markers, crayons, and highlighters
- Pocket folders and three-ring binders
- Loose-leaf paper
- Glue sticks, child-safe scissors, and rulers
- Facial tissues, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes
There’s no minimum or maximum; every item counts. A few extra notebooks or a pack of crayons can help a local student start the school year with the supplies they need. Volunteers will be ready to help unload and organize supplies at the collection point in front of Walmart.
By showing up and contributing, even modestly, donors directly support Durango school support systems and help ensure students have what they need to succeed in class.
About the Organizers and Event Hosts
The Back 2 School Supply Drive is hosted by Hutton Broadcasting, an independent, locally based media company known for its involvement in regional storytelling, public engagement, and event coordination.
The drive is sponsored by Sky Ute Casino Resort, which serves as the title sponsor again this year. As a business based in Ignacio, Colorado, Sky Ute Casino community support efforts span education, youth enrichment, and economic development.
Their commitment to this event helps ensure that students across La Plata County have access to the tools they need to learn.
In addition to its business and nonprofit partnerships, the event is powered by local broadcast media. On August 8, attendees can hear live coverage from 99.7 Radio Free Durango and 92.9 / 107.9 The Point, which will be reporting live throughout the day.
Why Local Drives Like This Matter
The Back 2 School Supply Drive focuses on meeting immediate material needs as well as broader support. It’s about student equity that Durango advocates have long supported: making sure that every child, regardless of income, has what they need to participate and succeed.
Teachers frequently spend out of pocket to fill supply gaps. Parents skip meals or defer other expenses to afford school lists. When the community steps in with organized, well-distributed donations, it lightens the load on everyone involved.
The event brings together nonprofits, local businesses, media partners, and community members to help students prepare for the school year.
By contributing to the drive, donors also support community service La Plata County families depend on and demonstrate what giving back in Durango can look like when it’s locally focused and transparently organized.
This event is made possible through the collaboration of Hutton Broadcasting, the La Plata Family Centers Coalition, and title sponsor Sky Ute Casino. Their teamwork makes this day of community support possible.
TITLE SPONSOR
