For the third year in a row, students at a Bethlehem Area School District elementary school benefited from the kindness of both ArtSkills and the Kids in Need Foundation receiving backpacks filled with school supplies. This year students at Lincoln ES were the recipients. ArtSkills manufactures arts and crafts supplies and ArtSkills creative director and partner Michele Demsky said it’s all about “passing it down, paying it forward and giving back.” “All kids deserve the same chances and this levels the playing field,” Demsky added..

At a special end-of-day assembly on the first day of school, students counted down as the stage curtains were drawn open to reveal tables piled high with backpacks, enough for each student with a few extras to fill needs throughout the school year.

ArtSkills employees, who donated their time, handed the backpacks out as students lined up by grade.

Lincoln Principal Benita Draper said, “It’s such a great opportunity for our children because some students don’t always have their supplies, so it allows each student to feel special.”

The Kids in Need Foundation is a national charity whose mission is “to provide free school supplies nationally to students most in need.”