Courtesy Photo Youths pose with the backpacks Water Wonderland Board of Realtors donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Alpena.

Water Wonderland Board of Realtors recently donated more than 70 brand-new backpacks filled with snacks and school supplies to the Boys & Girls Club of Alpena.

More than 70 youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena happily received the backpacks.

The Water Wonderland Board of Realtors consists of more than 410 members and serves eight area counties — Alpena, Montmorency, Alcona, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Otsego, Crawford and Oscoda. These members include Realtors, appraisers, title companies and financial institutions.

All areas made a backpack donation to impact the youth and help them be better prepared for the beginning of the school year. This is the fourth time the group has been able to provide youth with such a thoughtful donation and also alleviate some of the pressure placed upon parents.

“It is amazing to see how excited the kids are to choose their new backpacks,” said Bradley Somers, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena. “Their eyes light up when they open the backpacks to find all the wonderful things inside. We cannot thank all the wonderful members of the Water Wonderland Board of Realtors enough for selflessly putting the needs of youth this academic year above their own.”

Jeannie Rizzardi, executive director of the Water Wonderland Board of Realtors, is the catalyst to making all of this happen. She drives to each location and logs a lot of hours to pick up and deliver the donations.