NEWTON, Mass. —

Cradles to Crayons held its annual backpack-a-thon in Boston, where 800 volunteers packed vital school supplies for children in need across 26 school districts in Massachusetts.

"They're going out to 26 school districts across Massachusetts," said Christine Morin, CEO of Cradles to Crayons.

Morin said the financial burden of back-to-school expenses can be a lot for some families.

"We know that it costs about $858 for back-to-school expenses for an average family. That's a lot for a Massachusetts family, so that's why we're here – to make it easier for kids to have what they need," Morin said.

On the floor of Agganis Arena, volunteers packed 45,000 backpacks filled with donated notebooks, pencils, folders, and more. The atmosphere was filled with positive energy as vol

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