TOWSON, MD – Many businesses and organizations are still signing up to participate in the Baltimore County Public Schools annual school supply drive, but one longtime partner – Boscov’s department store at White Marsh Mall – is getting the drive off to an early start.

Beginning Saturday, July 1, customers can drop school supply donations off at the store. The store also is collecting underwear and socks for the county’s students who are homeless. The Boscov’s drive will continue through Saturday, August 26.

In addition, Boscov’s will once again provide the location for the school system’s annual Back to School Festival – on Saturday, August 26, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. This year’s festival will be bigger and better than ever – featuring with the BCPS Mobile Innovation Lab and Parentmobile, the Baltimore County Public Library’s Bookmobile, student entertainment, food trucks, hands-on activities, and information and resource tables representing BCPS departments and community resources.

The official BCPS school supply drive will run from Tuesday, July 25, through Sunday, August 13. Businesses and organizations that have committed to participating include the Baltimore County Democratic Central Committee, Baltimore County Public Library, Bohler Engineering, First Financial Federal Credit Union, Hiss United Methodist Church, KCI Technologies, Inc., Office Depot (Baltimore County stores only), Patient First, and the Pikesville and Towson Chambers of Commerce.

Other businesses/organizations interested in participating can sign up by contacting Diana Spencer at [email protected]. All school supplies are welcome and will be well used. Last year, more than 400 teachers received school supplies as a result of the drive.

The school supply drive is part of the BCPS annual Back to School Involves You, Too! campaign in association with the Education Foundation of BCPS. Designed to garner community support for BCPS students and schools, the campaign this year includes National Summer Learning Day, Parent University workshops, a back-to-school festival, volunteer recruitment, Team BCPS Day at Camden Yards, and more.

The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc., is a nonprofit organization established to attract and direct public financial contributions to programs and activities of the school system in support of quality education for all children.