MOSES LAKE - About 400 backpacks filled with supplies will be ready for children going back to school, courtesy of the noon Rotary Club.

The Rotary purchased the backpacks from Staples and Walmart, and both companies gave the Rotary a good deal on them, said Bob Tatum, the Rotary member in charge of the project. The empty backpacks and lists of school supplies for each grade are distributed among Rotary members. Once Rotary members filled them, the backpacks were collected and taken to North Elementary School, where they will be distributed throughout the district.

The Rotary Club has been donating backpacks for "five-plus years," Tatum said. "There's a great need and the school district sure appreciates it."

When the children receive a backpack, "it's really amazing to see their faces, and how excited they are," said North Principal Sydney Richins. Kids are more excited about school and their confidence levels increase, she said. "This is one step to setting them up for success for the school year."

The backpacks are distributed to all schools throughout the district, Richins said, and given to children who need them. The children who receive them will write thank-you letters, Richins said. A big piece of the project, she said, is to make sure the kids know who provided the backpacks.