MADISON, Wis. — About 1,800 kids got free school supplies Saturday, thanks to 100 Black Men of Madison. 

It was a busy day in the parking lot of the Alliant Energy Center. 100 Black Men of Madison gave away backpacks stuffed with school supplies. 

“A brand new backpack, chock full of fresh new school supplies, gives that kid a boost of confidence,” said J.R. Sims of 100 Black Men of Madison. “Something that every child needs and wants going back into the school year.” 

They start planning the event in the wintertime every year. A ton of work goes into the quarter-century-old tradition. 

“Twenty-six years ago, we started with 40 men in a garage, we were able to pack up 300 backpacks,” Sims said. “Today, we anticipate giving away somewhere on the order of 1,700, 1,800 backpacks.” 

It wasn’t always a drive-thru, though. 

“Because of the uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic, we had to go from a high-touch organization to a high-tech organization. And so that's what we've decided to do, we've made a pivot,” Sims said. 

That pivot included giving people a chance to get vaccinated. Volunteers asked every person who drove through whether they had the shot, and if they said no, they offered to answer any of their questions about it. They also gave adults an opportunity to register to vote. 

The goal was to get kids ready, healthy and confident to head back to school. 

“When a kid has a brand new backpack, that's a good look,” Sims said, “And if you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you're going to perform better.”