Thursday, October 1, 2026
Internet, mobile, and TV services provider Optimum partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery, a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming hosted their fifth Back-to-School backpack programs in Garden City to support local communities and prepare students for the upcoming school year.
The event took place at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, located on Charles Lindbergh Blvd. in Garden City, on Monday, Aug. 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This community-focused event aimed to benefit children aged 5 to 18.
This event aimed to underscore a shared commitment from Optimum, with support from its partners, including News 12 and Warner Bros. Discovery, to invest in education, digital literacy, and community engagement in the areas they serve.
This Back-to-School season, Optimum and Warner Bros. Discovery distributed 500 backpacks filled with school supplies, including a water bottle, crayons, rulers, pens and more, to residents in Freeport, Uniondale, Hempstead, and Central Islip to help ensure students have the necessary tools for a successful school year.
The event featured fun activities, music, refreshments, and more to celebrate with community members.
Allison Aylward, director of Community Affairs at Optimum, discussed the goals and inspiration behind this Back-to-School program.
“The event is being held at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, and they have some relationships with schools in the area,” said Aylward. “So we ask them to invite their partner school districts to come to join us just to make sure that those students have all of the tools that they need for the start of the school year.”
Aylward stated that they distributed 500 backpacks, which is an increase from previous years.
The increased number of backpacks and community involvement were the highlights that made this year’s program bigger, according to Aylward.
Aylward stated that Optimum has a partnership with DonorsChoose, a nonprofit education organization that supports teachers and students in the communities, and each attending school district would receive $10,000.
“Each of the school districts that will be attending this event, it’s Freeport, Uniondale and Hempstead, those three districts that are attending this event will each receive a $10,000 donation from Optimum so that they can purchase technology or any resources that they might need as they start the school year up with,” said Aylward.
There’s an additional separate event for Central Islip to donate $10,000, according to Aylward
Nassau County Legislator Scott Davis, Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks, Assemblywoman Judy Griffin, Legislator Seth Koslow, and Assemblyman Noah Burroughs joined the event to support today’s youth.
“I’m proud to support the Back-to-School Drive at the Cradle of Aviation, sponsored by Optimum,”said Assemblymember Noah Burroughs. “Events like these show the power of commitment toward our youth—when businesses, organizations, and leaders come together, we give our children the tools they need to succeed in school and in life.”
Aylward told the Herald that, for the past few years, Optimum has been doing this event in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. According to her, throughout the years, they have worked with donors to support school districts across Long Island and their entire service footprint.
However, the program aims to provide ongoing support to students and teachers throughout the school year, not just at the start.
Aylward emphasized the importance of students starting the school year with basic school supplies, as most families can’t afford to do that, considering financial setbacks.
“I think it’s important that students start the school year with the basics that they need. And a lot of times, unfortunately, families can’t afford even the basic supplies,” said Aylward. “So just starting the school year off with fresh new items, I think, gets them off on the right foot to start the school year positively.”
With the support of additional local community and nonprofit organizations, the event not only featured free backpacks filled with school supplies but also included fun activities, music, refreshments, and more to celebrate with residents of these communities.
By delivering meaningful experiences and resources to neighborhoods across their footprint, the organizations were dedicated to uplifting the communities they serve and helping students succeed both in and out of the classroom.
“We’re committed to supporting education to support the next generation of leaders who are in the schools today,” said Aylward. “You know, we want to be present in the communities that we serve. So I think this just further amplifies that commitment.”
