A large crowd turned out to support the Corbin Backpack Club’s inaugural Valentine’s Day Dance on Feb. 13, an event held to help provide meals for hundreds of local children in need.
Tri-County Catering provided a variety of dishes, including chicken, rolls, mashed potatoes, dessert, and more.
Live music was performed by Dr. Whitley and the Sky Band, featuring members such as Tom Blair on cello, Tommy Crate (the Harmonica Man), Gary Baxter on guitar, Tony Davis on bass, and Joe Westbrook on drums.
According to Dr. Whitley, the Sky Band originally formed in 1974 when its members were teenagers and young adults. The recent event marked their first time performing together since then, still under the same name.
The Backpack Club’s mission is to involve the community in improving the lives of children in need by ensuring they have access to nutritious food over the weekends.
During the 2024-2025 school year, 36,000 bags of food were distributed to students in Corbin Independent, Knox County, and Whitley County schools.
Now in its 21st year, the organization packs between 800 and 1,000 bags each week. Each bag costs approximately $10.58 or more and contains a drink, ramen noodles, Vienna sausages, applesauce, pudding, raisins, and other kid-friendly items to help children get through the week when school meals are unavailable.
Children in need are identified by the school’s family resource officer. With parental permission, participating students pick up a bag each Friday before leaving school. The bags are placed discreetly in their backpacks to ensure confidentiality.
Since the program relies entirely on individual donations, community support is encouraged. For more information on how to donate, email corbinbackpackprogram@gmail.com or visit corbinbackpack.com.
