SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — National Grid, the electric company that provides Syracuse’s power grid, is giving free backpacks to school-age children in order to “invest in the future workforce.”
Citing a study from the National Retail Federation showing that the average American is gradually spending more each year on their kids’ school supplies (in 2025, they measured $143.77), National Grid is holding a series of events around New York State, providing free backpacks and other school supplies.
Two of the events are in central New York:
- Aug. 20, 1-7 p.m.: Connected Community Schools, at 207 N. James St. in Rome
- Sept. 1, 1-5 p.m.: Bethany Baptist Church, at 149 Beattie St. in Syracuse
National Grid CEO Robert Simmons said the backpacks were “more than a gesture,” but rather an investment into “the future of our neighborhoods, our workforce and our world.”…