This year's Backpack in the Park benefit, held Aug. 1 at Piedmont Park, collected more than 1,400 backpacks filled with school supplies for children in need.

Backpack in the Park collects 1,400 backpacks for local kids

Backpack in the Park is one of two annual signature events hosted by For the Kid in All of Us, a nonprofit founded in 2003 to bring gay men, lesbians and gay rights allies together to help underprivileged children.

Organizers announced the total in a press release today.

“We are ecstatic with the results from this year’s Backpack in the Park,” said Jorge Esteban, For the Kid in All of Us president, in the press release.

“This record-setting event would not have been possible without the commitment and collective support of our board of directors, countless volunteers, patrons and sponsors. We toppled the record we set last year for backpacks collected at the event,” he said. “Our collection this year increased 140 percent over last year’s event.”

The nine beneficiaries include Agape, AID Atlanta, The Alcove, CHRIS Kids, Camp Horizon, Cool Girls, Lake Forest Elementary School, Nicholas House, and for the first time, Lutheran Services of Georgia.

The backpacks will be presented to Lake Forest Elementary School on Aug. 27. The other beneficiaries have already received their donations.

The next event for For the Kid in All of Us is the popular Toy Party, set for Dec. 5. Last year, it collected more than 5,000 toys and gift cards for children in need.

Since its founding in 2003, Toy Party has distributed more than 27,000 toys and gift cards, while Backpack in the Park, which launched in 2006, has donated more than 3,700 backpacks filled with school supplies.

You can view our photo album from this year’s Backpack in the Park here.