COVINGTON, Ky. — The start of school is just weeks away for many Kentuckians, and families in Northern Kentucky will soon be able to get backpacks full of school supplies. 

Northern Kentucky Harvest's Backpacks Bonanza will return for the 24th consecutive year Saturday, Aug. 10, with the goal of giving away 1,125 backpacks for preschoolers through 12th-graders. City of Covington employees will assemble and distribute them. 

"We know the need for this project remains great because of the number of families that have sought help in the past several years," said Paul Gottbrath, Harvest board president. "We're responding with what could be our biggest giveaway ever." 

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon in the rear of the parking lot at St. Elizabeth Healthcare's campus at 1500 James Simpson Jr. Way in Covington, the city of Covington said, and approximately 800 to 900 backpacks are expected to be distributed. Some backpacks will be shared ahead of time with low-income families working with community partners such as Covington-based Esperanza Latino Center, the ION Center and Welcome House, and Elsmere-based Catholic Charities. 

Harvest deemed the event Northern Kentucky's largest and longest-running school readiness initiative. 

"You give a kid a new backpack, it's amazing how that increases their excitement about the new school year," Gottbrath said. 

The city of Covington added registration is not required; however, families will need to show up with a photo ID, proof of Northern Kentucky residence (such as a lease or recent bill) and proof the children live with them such as Social Security or medical cards.