CARMEL, INDIANA — Round Room LLC, the nation’s largest Verizon Authorized Wireless Retailer, announced last week that its TCC and Wireless Zone stores are donating 172,000 backpacks full of school supplies to ensure children across the U.S. are well prepared for the start of the school year. Since 2013, TCC has donated more than 505,000 backpacks filled with supplies through its annual School Rocks Backpack Giveaway, and Wireless Zone is now a part of the nationwide initiative.

“This is our fifth TCC School Rocks Backpack Giveaway, and we are ecstatic to bring Wireless Zone on board to assist in supporting the education of young children in our communities,” said Scott Moorehead, CEO of Round Room, parent company of TCC and Wireless Zone. “We are proud to help our local families prepare for the upcoming school year by taking some of the financial burden off their shoulders.”

Nearly 1,000 participating TCC and Wireless Zone stores across the U.S. are inviting local families and their children to visit select locations on Sunday, July 23, between 1-4 p.m. to pick up a backpack filled with various school supplies, including pencils, paper, a pencil box, folders and glue. One backpack per child present will be given away on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

For a list of participating TCC stores, visit www.tccrocks.com/locations. Each participating TCC store will donate 220 backpacks. All leftover backpacks will be donated to local schools. The Eaton Verizon store will be participating.

In 2016, the National Retail Federation predicted the average person with children in grades K-12 would spend $107.76 on school supplies, which has increased from last year’s prediction of $97.74. With nearly 20 percent of children in the U.S. living in poverty, TCC is working to alleviate the rising costs of school supplies through this annual program.