Hive’s Backpack Blowout: Free Backpack Giveaway in Dexter, Michigan
A free back-to-school shopping experience for local students and families
We’re helping 75 local students start the school year with new backpacks, the supplies they need, and the confidence that comes from feeling prepared.
The beginning of a school year already comes with new routines, new expectations, approximately 900 forms, and enough logistical decisions to exhaust an otherwise functional adult; school supplies should not be one more impossible thing.
sunday, august 23, 2026 | DEXTER, MICHIGAN
*Location & time being finalized*
No registration required. Backpacks and supplies will be available first come, first served while quantities last.
the details
Need school supplies? Come see us!
The Backpack Blowout is a free, drop-in event.
No advance registration is required.
Students will check in when they arrive, choose a new backpack, and shop for the school supplies they need at different supply stations.
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We’re still building the event and confirming all the details.
The core experience will include:
New backpacks
School-supply shopping stations
Volunteers available to help families navigate the event
A welcoming and organized environment
We’re also exploring family activities, refreshments, books, backpack-personalization options, and community resources.
We’ll add each feature to this page as it is confirmed. We would rather pleasantly surprise you than publicly promise a snack station we have not actually secured.
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Backpacks and school supplies are free.
Supplies are available for up to 75 students.
Items will be distributed first come, first served while supplies last.
Attendance does not guarantee a backpack or specific supplies.
Each student may receive one backpack.
Families do not need to be current or former Hive Wellness clients.
No proof of income or explanation of need is required.
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We’re currently looking for community partners who may be interested in helping us provide:
Books for students to choose from
Snacks and bottled water
Backpack tags, keychains, or personalization supplies
Sensory tools
School-year essentials such as water bottles, lunch bags, pencil pouches, or headphones
A simple family-friendly activity
Helpful resources for parents and caregivers
Have an idea or something useful to contribute? We would love to hear about it.
Help us fill 75 backpacks
Our goal is to give 75 local students a new backpack and the supplies they need to walk into school feeling prepared, confident, and ready to start the year.
Want to help? Pick the option that works for your time, budget, and current capacity for leaving your house.
Every bit of it counts.
Shop our Amazon Wishlist
Purchase backpacks and requested school supplies directly from our Amazon wish list. Items can be shipped directly to Hive and added to the supplies available at the event.
We’ve organized the list around what students actually need, so you can help without attempting to decode a school-supply list in the middle of Target.
drop off school supplies
Want to shop locally or personally experience the back-to-school aisle at Target? We respect your journey.
We’re collecting new backpacks and requested school supplies at:
Hive Wellness Collective
8178 Jackson Road, Suite C
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103
Our Amazon wish list also serves as our current supply list. You do not have to purchase through Amazon; use it to see what we still need, shop wherever you’d like, and drop your items off at Hive.
We’ll continue updating the list as supplies arrive so we can avoid ending up with 400 rulers and zero notebooks.
VOLUNTEER WITH US
We have 75 backpacks to fill. We could use some extra hands.
Community events involve a surprising number of boxes, labels, supply stations, last-minute questions, and tiny details that suddenly become extremely important.
That’s where you come in.
We’re looking for volunteers to help us prepare for the Backpack Blowout and keep things running smoothly on event day.
You do not need any special clinical experience. If you’re kind, dependable, comfortable interacting with families, and capable of following directions while surrounded by an unreasonable number of notebooks, we would love your help.
Complete the volunteer form and tell us when you’re available and how you’d most like to help. We’ll follow up with shift information, event details, and everything you need to know.
Business + Organizational Sponsorships
Your logo could be doing something useful right now.
The Backpack Blowout is helping 75 local students start the school year with new backpacks, the supplies they need, and the confidence that comes from feeling prepared.
Local businesses, schools, teams, and community organizations can help us turn that goal into 75 actual backpacks, not just one very ambitious spreadsheet.
Hive Five Sponsor — $150
Helps provide school supplies for approximately five students.
Includes:
Name listed on the Backpack Blowout event webpage
Recognition in our shared community-sponsor social media thank-you
Post-event impact update showing what our sponsors helped make possible
Backpack Builder — $300
Helps provide school supplies for approximately ten students.
Includes:
Logo and website link on the Backpack Blowout event webpage
Logo included on shared event signage
Tagged recognition in our community-sponsor social media thank-you
Post-event impact update and approved event photos to share with your audience
Opportunity to send a small employee volunteer team
Community Champion — $750
Helps provide school supplies for approximately twenty-five students: one-third of our entire goal and, objectively, a pretty big deal.
Includes:
Featured logo and website link on the Backpack Blowout event webpage
Prominent logo placement on event signage
Individual sponsor spotlight on Hive’s social media
Recognition in our community email newsletter
Recognition in our post-event community thank-you
Post-event impact summary and approved event photos to share with your audience
Opportunity to send an employee volunteer team
Optional resource table at the event, when appropriate and aligned with the needs of participating families
To receive full logo and promotional benefits, sponsorship commitments and usable logo files must be received by August 10th, 2026. Recognition is optional, and sponsors may choose to remain private.
Also excellent.
Businesses and organizations can support the event by providing:
New backpacks or school supplies
Food and refreshments
Printing or signage
Family-friendly activities
Volunteers
Event equipment
Professional services
A weirdly specific resource we didn’t know we needed until you mentioned it
Tell us what you have in mind. If it meets an event need, we would love to find a way to work together.
Have something besides money?
Know someone we should know?
Maybe you know a local business with supplies.
Maybe your school, team, or organization has volunteers.
Maybe your cousin’s neighbor manages a printing company and has been waiting their entire life for this exact moment.
Send them our information or introduce us.
Community events happen because people connect the right humans to one another.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
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Yes! There is no cost for students or families to participate.
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No. The Backpack Blowout is a free, drop-in event.
Backpacks and supplies will be distributed first come, first served while quantities last.
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No. We are preparing to serve up to 75 students, but attendance does not guarantee a backpack or specific supplies.
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Yes, students must be present to select a backpack and school supplies.
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Yes. Each participating student may receive one backpack and a reasonable quantity of available school supplies.
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No. Families will not be asked to provide proof of income or explain why they are attending.
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No. You do not need to be a current or former Hive Wellness client.
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You do not need to bring paperwork.
If helpful, bring your student’s school-supply list so you can identify which available items they need.
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Yes. Students and caregivers will shop at organized stations and select needed items, subject to availability and reasonable quantity limits.
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We will update event signage and our social media when possible.
Once all backpacks have been claimed, we may continue distributing remaining individual school supplies until the event ends or supplies run out.
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Contact us at [EVENT EMAIL ADDRESS] before the event. We’ll do our best to create a workable and comfortable way for your family to participate.
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The weather plan will be posted once the event location is confirmed and shared through our event updates.
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We are currently accepting new items only so every student receives school-ready supplies in consistent condition.
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Yes. Financial and in-kind sponsorship opportunities are available for businesses, schools, teams, and community organizations.
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Email events@hivewellnessco.com with questions about attending, supplies, volunteering, sponsorships, accessibility, or community partnerships.