LOS BANOS, CA (August 6th, 2025) — On Saturday, August 9, 2025, the McDonald’s located at 1408 S. Mercey Springs Road will transform into more than just a restaurant — it will become a hub of community support. From 12 PM to 3 PM, the store will host its first-ever Back-to-School Bash, distributing school supplies to students from the Los Banos area while celebrating the power of local giving.
The event, organized by McDonald’s team members and led by General Manager Sabrina Rocha and Shift Manager Ashley Montez, was created as a way to give back to families preparing for the school year. The restaurant is actively collecting donations, both school supplies and cash, from customers throughout the summer, ending its donation drive on August 8. Those items will be handed out on-site the next day, August 9, to any students in attendance.
“We just wanted to help out students who might need last-minute items and support families who are facing financial difficulties,” said Rocha. “When we noticed there weren’t many school supply drives happening in our area, we wanted to step in and do something meaningful.”
This year’s initiative is inspired by a company-wide theme promoted by franchise owner John Abbate, who encouraged all restaurants in her group to focus on “truth, beauty, and goodness” in 2025. Rocha said that theme motivated her to organize an event that would make a tangible difference in the lives of local children.
The event will feature more than just school supplies. Grimace, McDonald’s beloved purple mascot, will be on hand to greet families and take photos. In addition, the team has invited representatives from the California Highway Patrol and the Los Banos Fire Department to participate, with plans to offer stickers and safety information for kids.
Students do not need to pre-register to receive supplies — backpacks will be given out first-come, first-served during the event while supplies last.
With inflation and back-to-school expenses rising, the National Retail Federation reported that American families planned to spend an average of $890 per household on back-to-school items in 2024, up from $864 in 2023. For many in rural Central California, even basic supplies can stretch a family’s budget thin.
This grassroots event, entirely team-driven, aims to ease that burden. The team at McDonald’s hopes the event not only eases the back-to-school burden for local families, but also reminds the community of the impact a single act of kindness can have.
