HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Just over a week away from the first day of school in Hillsborough County, dozens of military families were treated to MacDill Air Force Base's annual back-to-school event.
"It also just lets us feel like we're not alone and that we can just kind of have the help if we need it. I mean, four kids, you need as much help as you can get," says Davida Johnson, a member of the U.S. Air Force.
WATCH: Macback to School provides military families with crucial resources
Blue Star Families helped organize this year's event with dozens of sponsors and over 1200 backpacks to give out, for free.
"It's a blessing to have the support here and everything that they have to offer," says Dwayne Johnson, Davida's husband and also a member of the USAF.
Dozens of volunteers also showed up to make sure the event went off without a hitch.
"We can't do this without them. As you know, nonprofits, we rely on our community to help support us. And the base relies on our community to help support them, and it's a great relationship that we all have here," says Suzy Malloy, program director for Blue Star Families in Tampa.
There are some truly inspiring people who call the Tampa Bay area home. People who overcome odds that others could not even imagine. Tampa Bay 28 anchor Lauren St. Germain met a woman who is doing just that, as she competes at an international level after 2 life-saving lung transplants.
