Pasco County families getting free school supplies thanks to local foundation

PORT RICHEY, Fla. - For some families it can be a struggle to afford essential school supplies like backpacks, pencils and notebooks, so a non-profit in Pasco County is doing their part to help kids get back to school.

According to the National Retail Federation, families will spend on average about $890 on back-to-school supplies this year. For many families, it can be a hefty price to pay.

"We saw the need of children that needed school supplies, that needed backpacks, that just needed a little bump up and help in the community," McDowell Foundation Founder Dan McDowell said.

Four years ago, McDowell and his wife Danielle formed the McDowell Foundation. Every year they host a back-to-school bash offering free school supplies to kids in need.

"This year it hit me a little hard because I had numerous parents come up to me and tell me that they really needed this bump up and help this year because it was just with prices hiked everywhere they looked it's hard to supply the basic necessities," McDowell said.

Pictured: Danielle and Dan McDowell 

On Saturday, as many as 15,000 people came to the event at the Gulf View Square Mall in Port Richey. They gave away nearly 1,000 backpacks with basic school supplies like pencils and notebooks. They also had free haircuts and physicals to help get ready to head back to school. It's a cause that hits close to home to McDowell and his own community.

"We definitely seen that the need was there to provide for the community and especially here in New Port Richey, Pasco County specifically, there are more title one schools than non-title one schools, so we felt there was definitely a need here versus Tampa where they are very well suited," McDowell said.

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