Hundreds of elementary school kids will have a special beginning to their school year.

"Backpacks For Kids," a campaign sponsored by the Moses Lake Rotary Club, will give children in grades preschool through fifth a brand-new backpack filled with school supplies.

This is the sixth year of the campaign, Rotary member Juliann Dodds said, pointing out the importance and the support received by this annual crusade.

"There is a large need for (backpacks)," she said.

Michelle Price, Moses Lake assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said that each year hundreds of backpacks are donated by citizens and members of Rotary.

The backpacks have to be filled with school supplies, from pencils, to rulers, crayons, glue, markers, facial tissues and either notebooks or notebook loose-leaf paper, depending on the child's grade in school.

The backpacks are gathered and then turned into the MLSD. The deadline for the backpacks is the end of this week. Gathering places are, among others Sterling Savings Bank on Third Avenue, Tyco, and Neighborhood Cleaners. All citizens are invited to participate.

"It's a great program," said P.J. De Benedetti, special assistant to the superintendent said. "These are supplies the kids need."