The Golden Knights Drill Team gave a special performance before joining in the effort to assemble hundreds of back to school book bags.
Back to school backpack giveaway at Bud Billiken Parade
"We can't assume that everyone has what they need for the school year, so that's where we stand in the gap to be a resource to make sure that we are providing those things," said Antawn Anderson of Chicago Defender Charities.
"Colored pencils, we have glue, pencils, folders, notebooks. Anything that a student needs, we have it going in the backpack," said Jermell Still of United Airlines.
The annual Bud Billiken parade signals school is around the corner, and for the past few years United Airlines and Chicago Defender Charities have put the bags together as a way to give back to the community.
"They have all the supplies they need, they have the support they need from us. And also, it's a way for us to show up and give our pride to the city where we're headquartered," Still said.
ABC7 is a proud sponsor of the Bud Billiken Parade. If you can't make it out Saturday, you can watch our two hour special broadcast of the parade live, starting at 10 a.m. on ABC7. You can also watch it on ABC7Chicago.com or wherever you stream.