BOSTON (WHDH) - Thanks to the Salvation Army, parents sending their kids back to school now have one less thing to worry about.

The city of Boston teamed up with the TD Garden and the Salvation Army to give away 3,000 backpacks stocked with notebooks, highlighters and other school supplies, to students in need.

Superintendent Brenda Caaellius said returning to classrooms this year will be a delicate balance of fun and following the science.

“I think the best thing to prepare to get our kids back in school is to create a really warm and welcoming environment, and also be able to prepare for their health and their safety, because we are still mitigating the effects of COVID, unfortunately,” she said.

Parents said they are thankful for the help and say they will be taking extra steps to ensure their kids are prepared as cases of the Delta variant continue to surge.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking but it’s also exciting,” Amber Holden told 7NEWS. “Me and my kids will have their masks every day, water bottles so they can have as minimal contact as possible, but I think that they’re ready for it.”

As for the students, they say all this concern is nothing out of the ordinary after this past year.

“Well, I’ve gotten pretty used to it so I think I’m gonna be ready for it,” said incoming third grader Dariel Valentin. “

Since starting the event in 2012, the Salvation Army said they have given out more than 40,000 backpacks.

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