At just 14 years old, Ava Burke of Brewer is helping hundreds of local students start the school year with confidence. With the support of her family, friends, civic groups and local businesses, Burke collected more than 600 backpacks for Penquis’s “We’ve Got Your Back” campaign, her largest contribution yet.

The campaign, now in its 10th year, provides new backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies for students across Penobscot, Piscataquis and Knox counties. This year, Penquis expects to serve more than 1,200 children through the effort.

As Burke’s impact has grown, so has the need for more space to hold the hundreds of backpacks she collects. For the second year in a row, Showcase Self Storage in Brewer generously donated space to house the donations leading up to the del

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