An Event for the Community, by the Community
Backpack Giveaway
Bringing Abilene together to ensure every child starts the school year with confidence, dignity, and the supplies they need.
Backpack Giveaway
Bringing Abilene together to ensure every child starts the school year with confidence, dignity, and the supplies they need.
An event for the community, by the community — coming together to ensure every child starts the school year with confidence, dignity, and the supplies they need to succeed.
The Hearts BBQ Backpack Giveaway began in 2020 with a simple but powerful idea — neighbors helping neighbors.
When Sharleene Jacques recognized a growing need in the Abilene community, she started small, providing 30 backpacks to local students. What mattered most wasn’t the number — it was the impact.
Each year, the need grew — and so did the community’s response. As more families, volunteers, and local businesses stepped in, the Backpack Giveaway quickly became more than a supply drive. It became a tradition rooted in generosity, dignity, and shared responsibility.
Today, the Hearts BBQ Backpack Giveaway is an expected and deeply needed annual event, where families come not only to receive backpacks, but to gather, connect, and feel the love of the Abilene community. For a few meaningful hours, children leave prepared for school — and reminded they are supported.
A heartfelt thank you to the incredible businesses and organizations who generously sponsored last year’s Hearts BBQ Backpack Giveaway. Your support makes a real difference in the lives of local students and families, and we are deeply grateful for each of you:
Whitten Automotive • Jackson Brothers Feed and Seed • Rolling Wood Fire Pizza Abilene • Arrow Ford • Arrow Point Auto Mall • Hanna Allen Law Firm • Kent Beck Motors • Abilene Auto Spa •Thorntons Roofing • Project 7 Billion • On the Go Rentals • Get Green Lawn Kings • Bike Town • Alpha Aesthetics • Concerned Veterans Of America • 4M Autoplex • A-Ok Driving School • Germ Killer • Fat Matt Roofing • Abilene Recovery Council • The Toasted Traveler • Jay's BBQ Shack • Life Of Pie • Blake Williams Statefarm • Lawrence Hall Chevrolet • Marquez Tree Care • Big Country Family Chiropractic • West Texas Mobility • Prep Academy Dance Studio • Winchester Pub and Grill • Sherrod's BBQ • Joe's Movers • Red Wing Shoes • Roll Shack • Whistle Stop RV Park • Habitat For Humanity • Lonestar Electric • Kent's Harley Davidson • Tanya Harbin Real Estate • Abilene Card My Yard • Texas Digital Strategies • Premier Martial Arts • Kimberly Johnson • Red Alpha Custom Prints • Bunton Roofing • Insomniac Designs • Clear Fork Bank • Outlaw Automotive • Dragon Soul • Steak Express • Tru Vertex • Finco Service • Avana Bank • Texas Family Popcorn • FRIA Gorup • Dent House • Atmos Energy • Mobile Med • Exodus Church • Lowes • Hawk Painting • Accent Collision • Guardians of the Children • JJJ Renovations • Walmart (North and South Locations) • Abilene Gladiators • Lucy's Burgers • Silverthorne Insurance • TJ Toys • Target • Department of Transportation • Town Square Media • Cumulus Broadcasting • Office Depot • All Anonymous Donors
This event would not have been possible without the incredible generosity of the following day-of-event partners and the many individual volunteers who donated products, services, time, energy, and talent on the day of the event. Your support helped create a safe, fun, and memorable experience for our community, and we are deeply grateful.
Day-of-Event Partners
Individual Volunteers
And a heartfelt thank you to all the many individual volunteers who showed up, jumped in wherever needed, and gave their time to serve others. Your hard work, kindness, and willingness to help are what truly brought this event together.
We are incredibly thankful for every partner and volunteer who stepped up and made this day possible. Your generosity and community spirit made a lasting impact.
