Academy Sports + Outdoors Partners with Operation Homefront to Support Military Families During Back-to-School Season

Organizations providing children with school year essentials through the Back-to-School Brigade^®

KATY, Texas, June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With back-to-school right around the corner, Academy Sports + Outdoors teamed up with national non-profit Operation Homefront to help military families gear up for the upcoming school year with essentials including notebooks, folders, composition books, pens, pencils, bag tags, and more.

"At Academy Sports + Outdoors our mission is to provide fun for all, and that starts with investing in the communities we serve," said Meredith Klein, Vice President of Communications. "We're honored to support military families and make the back-to-school season easier through our partnership with Operation Homefront."

On Wednesday, June 25, hundreds of Academy Sports + Outdoors team members came together to fill 1,500 backpacks with essential school supplies. This packing event is part of Academy's broader community giving efforts and support of Operation Homefront's annual Back-to-School Brigade^®, which is inclusive of a $54,000 donation to the program. The backpacks will be delivered to school-age military children across Texas and Louisiana.

The Back-to-School Brigade^® distributes thousands of backpacks to military children across the country annually, easing the financial burden of the season for parents and families while also fostering a sense of community and excitement for students as they head back to class.

"The unique challenges our nation's military families face in summer months – transitioning to new communities and schools, paying for school supplies, purchasing new clothes – takes a financial toll and brings stress into an exciting and joyful time for students starting a new school year," says Rear Adm. Alan Reyes, US Navy (Ret.), Operation Homefront President & CEO. "We're thankful for partners like Academy Sports + Outdoors who help us provide much-needed assistance to help these deserving military families thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect."

Photos from that event are available here.

The annual initiative by Operation Homefront has provided nearly 600,000 backpacks to military children since 2008, saving families more than $60 million in school expenses. You can learn more about the Back-to-School Brigade by visiting the Operation Homefront website.

About Academy Sports + Outdoors
Academy is a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer in the United States. Originally founded in 1938 as a family business in Texas, Academy has grown to more than 300 stores across 21 states and counting. Academy's mission is to provide "Fun for All" and Academy fulfills this mission with a localized merchandising strategy and value proposition that strongly connects with a broad range of consumers. Academy's product assortment focuses on key categories of outdoor, apparel, sports & recreation and footwear through both leading national brands and a portfolio of private label brands. For more information, visit www.academy.com.

About Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 83 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America's military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Media Contact:
Shane Carlisle, Public Relations Manager, [email protected]

Operation Homefront Media Contact:
Amber Myszka, Director of Integrated Public Relations, [email protected]

SOURCE Academy Sports + Outdoors