Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island wants to thank you for your support last year. The children at the three schools that we support in Charleston County thank you as well. Now, we are back once again with more friends than ever before for the 2023 Challenge. Mike Gorski has done a wonderful job over the last seven years with the “Mike Gorski and Friends Challenge,” and he has retired from fundraising and turned it over to the specific organizations to run. This challenge directly benefits the Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island. Our goal, with the help of our friends, is to raise $90,000 or more for this great and worthy cause.
Gorski launched this program seven years ago and has helped raise additional funds for the Backpack Buddies programs since. Each year, the Challenge has proven to be more successful than the prior year. Last year, he raised $87,000 for Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island.
Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island is a nonprofit with a mission to feed local hungry school children on the weekends. These children receive breakfast and lunch at school but often are being left to fend for themselves on the weekends. Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island is currently feeding close to 385 local children each week. We support Mt. Zion Elementary, Lambs Elementary and St Johns High School. To support one child for the entire school year with these bags of food, it is only $235. $0.94 cents of every dollar go directly to buying food.
To help raise additional funds for Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island, we have received commitments from local business and friends to donate $1,000 or more to collectively secure $45,000 of funds, which will then match the donations made by residents of Seabrook Island. And all donations are tax deductible, as permitted by law.
To make a donation, go to the Backpack Buddies Seabrook Island website at backpackbuddiesseabrookisland.com. The Challenge will run from Aug. 7 through Sept. 29. Total donations will be announced Oct. 2.