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With the new school year just about here in New Jersey, families around the region are heading to stores for the basics for a successful start to the academic year, stocking up on backpacks, crayons, markers, pencils and pens.

For many in the area, however, those basic needs too often go unfulfilled, but ������ý���� and its men’s basketball program have been working to ensure these critical needs are met and that as many kids as possible have access to these basic leaning tools for a proper education.

This past week, the men’s basketball team collected supplies and donated backpacks filled with pens, pencils, glue sticks, erasers and scissors, as well as ������ý���� T-shirts, and donated them to Larry Richardson and the “It’s Academic Sports Mentorship Program” in Trenton.

The mentorship program is designed to aid elementary- and middle-school students.

“Our goal was to be able to assist children who otherwise could not afford all the things that they need to get the school year off to a good start,” said head coach Tommy Dempsey. “It is important for our basketball program and for ������ý���� to offer assistance in our community when we have the opportunity.”

The ������ý���� Bookstore assisted the team with a contribution of folders and Broncs key chains.

Dempsey recalled putting his children on the school bus earlier in the week and the pride he felt as a parent that all of their school supplies were in order and that they were ready to face the upcoming year.

“I’m a father of four and when I dropped off my children at the bus stop Tuesday, they were set to go and had all the things they needed and that is a good feeling as a parent,” Dempsey said. “You can’t assume that everyone will be in that situation, so that’s why we thought this might be a good opportunity to help some families in need.”

Even though he tracks the Broncs’ wins and losses on the court, Dempsey realizes that as a coach, he is an educator first.

“There are so many people and mentors in our community who do great work to support our youth,” Dempsey said. “Any time we have a chance to support one of these programs especially, when the theme is education of our children, it’s important that we do so.”