The Custer County Backpack Project (CCBP) is wrapping up its start-of-school backpack distribution. CCBP provides school supplies and backpacks to parents of public-school students who request them, helping to alleviate an often significant expense and the need for travel to purchase supplies. It operates under the umbrella of Valley Park, Recreation, and Youth Center, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving the valley since 1974. The project has been overseen by the Custer County Church of Christ since 2021. The service is a vital community resource. School supply costs have continued to rise due to shipping increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and tariffs, according to the National Retail Federation, which projects a steady rise in the future. With multiple children in school, families could spend hundreds…