Shoe store hosts backpack giveaway

For The Madera Tribune

Valley Stealz co-owner Ali Escheik hands out one of about 100 backpacks the store gave away last week.

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Valley Stealz hosted a backpack giveaway last week, along with Lamunchies559. The shoe store gave away 100 backpacks filled with notebooks, pencils, crayons and erasers while Lamunchies gave away about 100 free agua frescas.

This is the second year the store has done a backpack giveaway, but this year they advertised it and the line was around the block.

“We did not expect a turn out like this,” co-owner Ali Escheik said. “We will make it a bigger event next year. We didn’t think we reached out to this many people.” He said there was about 300 people waiting in line.