Denver Mayor Mike Johnston rolled up his sleeves Thursday to stuff backpacks with school supplies for elementary and middle school students as the city gears up for the return to class.

Johnston was joined by nearly two dozen city employees who filled more than 400 backpacks for some of Denver’s neediest children.

“There’s just so much need out there coming off the pandemic,” said Heidi Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Denver Agency for Human Rights & Community Partnerships, which sponsors the annual Denver Days. “There are so many families struggling.”

Denver Days is an annual, week-long neighborhood event in which officials waive park permit fees to encourage neighbors to get together. While the city has celebrated Denver Days for more than a decade, the kickoff event on Saturday is new with breakfast, free backpacks, face painting, balloon artists, a bouncy house and music.

With more than 42,000 recently-arrived immigrants in Denver, many with school-aged children attending Denver Public Schools, the extra help for families is critical, Rodriguez said.

The National Retail Federation estimates households on average will spend $874.68 on back-to-school needs this year, $141 on school supplies alone.

Household spending on back-to-school supplies over the past decade has risen nearly 40%, according to data from the federation.

“This is the first time that we’re doing this and we’re hoping it won’t be the last,” Rodriguez said.

The event is free and open to the public.

Editor’s note: Class Notes is a recurring update on area school districts from education reporter Nicole C. Brambila.