Seven-year-old Gabriela wore her new backpack and a Jeff Greene sticker on her shirt as she ran around the picnic tables at Depot Park with her 6-year-old brother Justin.
The children had just received free backpacks and stickers from the campaign of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jeff Greene. Workers began handing out the backpacks Monday at 5:30 p.m.
Carina Hernandez, mother of Gabriela and Justin, said she came to the event to get bags for her four children. All of her children are enrolled in public schools throughout the Gainesville area.
“I really appreciate them giving out backpacks, I really do,” Hernandez said. “It helps a lot.”
More than 100 backpacks were given out, event organizer Katy Burnett said.
Greene said it was the campaign’s third trip to Gainesville, and the campaign will travel to Tampa next.
“It’s not the place with the most voters,” Greene said. “If you’re trying to be efficient you probably wouldn’t come here, but you know this is an important, a very important, part of Florida. You know our best university is here.”
The children walked away with colorful bags to use at school when it starts again in the coming weeks.
“It’s a little, tiny gesture,” Greene said. “What I really want to do is I want to make a big change, a permanent, big change in Florida for every family.”
Follow Gillian Sweeney on Twitter @gilliangsweeney and contact her at gsweeney@alligator.org.
