Oklahoma teen, 18-year-old Reed Marcum gives away 6,000 backpacks stuffed with school supplies.
An 18-year-old boy, Reed Marcum from Oklahoma, spent his Saturday distributing 6,000 bags with books and other school supplies to needy families, according to reports by OKW News.
Continuing with his 9th annual Back-to-School Book Bag Giveaway tradition, he has given out a total of 33,000 backpacks along with $1.3 million worth of school supplies to date.
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Apart from helping his local community in McAlester, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, the generous teen has assisted families not only across his state but also in states like Arkansas and Texas.
Marcum has been a long-time member of 4-H, an American youth organization, and the giveaway is a part of his annual 4-H service project.
A sophomore at Oklahoma State University, Marcum has also been honored with the 4-H Youth in Action Award for collecting more than $3.5 million in cash via donations for his community-related projects.
The giving teen is excited every year before the great giveaway and wants to help kids start their school year right. He finds the entire experience very fulfilling that he has been arranging for the last nine years.
Although there is no income requirement, a child needs to be present for the giveaway. Additionally, families do not need to be from the McAlester community to receive a backpack.
4-H is America’s largest youth development organization, reaching around 6 million young people through over 100 public universities and empowering them with leadership skills.
Since Marcum is a national winner, he has earned a higher education scholarship worth $5,000 along with opportunities to work on his professional skills and get mentored by 4-H alumni.
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He has also been organizing an annual 4-H Toy Giveaway during the holiday season since 2016.
Last year, he and 100 other volunteers gave away more than 10,000 toys, candy, and clothing to countless children and families across Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. Cars queued up for more than three miles outside the Toy Giveaway.
According to his mentor and Pittsburg County 4-H teacher, Greg Owen, Marcum’s commitment to his community is inspiring. Owen feels proud of his service projects and loves to watch him grow.
The Sergeant Miles Tarron and Hudson Strong Foundation support the backpack giveaway arranged by Marcum every year. You can click here to donate and contribute to these annual giveaway events.
