CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Some Charlotte-Mecklenburg students are got a big present to celebrate the new school year. 

David Tepper, the owner of the Carolina Panthers, gave students at Thomasboro Academy brand new backpacks and school supplies. 

At a pep rally Tuesday morning, Tepper kicked off the program that will be giving away more than 12,000 backpacks to CMS students in 17 schools. 

Tepper says he wanted to start giving back to schools immediately. Tepper says he comes from humble beginnings, so he knows how important the school supplies are. 

 

 

"Every kid needs a lot of supplies. There's a shortage of supplies there when teachers don't have enough money for supplies," Tepper says. 

"To take one more big thing off of the parents' plate like school supplies, has just been enormous," says Janette McIver, the principal of Thomasboro Academy. 

Tepper says he plans to include schools in both North and South Carolina in the future. This year's school supply giveaway will continue through Labor Day. 

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