Greater Twin Cities United Way Celebrates 10 Years of Action Day, Setting a Record 60,000 Students Up for Success

Thousands of Volunteers to Pack Backpacks Full of Essential School Supplies on August 7 at St. Paul RiverCentre

MINNEAPOLIS (August 4, 2025) — This week Greater Twin Cities United Way (United Way) proudly celebrates the 10th anniversary of Action Day – a community-wide initiative to ensure local students return to school with the supplies they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond. Since its inception, Action Day has supported 375,000 students. Action Day 2025, presented by Target, is hosted by the Minnesota Wild and made possible thanks to partnerships with the Minnesota professional sports teams, corporate and nonprofit partners, school districts, volunteers, and more.  

This year’s in-person event will take place on Thursday, August 7 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, where thousands of volunteers will come together to pack backpacks for 60,000 K–12 students across the Greater Twin Cities. That same day, 130 nonprofit partners and school districts will pick up the backpacks to later distribute them to local area families.

“Over the past decade, we’ve grown from serving 6,000 students to 60,000, thanks to the incredible support of our volunteers, partners and donors,” said John Wilgers, president and CEO of Greater Twin Cities United Way. “Together, we’re helping to ensure that every child in our community has the support they need to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.”

Why Action Day Matters for Families:

• Every year, one in 10 students in the Greater Twin Cities returns to school without essential supplies.
• According to Capital One shopping research, in 2023 the average family paid $597 in back-to-school supplies for one child.
• Today, 36% of Minnesota households fall below the ALICE threshold – employed but struggling to meet basic needs.
• Between 2016 and 2025, Action Day has distributed a total of 375,000 backpacks to children and families in the Greater Twin Cities.

“Action Day is helping families get the school supplies they need, but its impact is even wider than that,” said Melissa Wilson, Senior Director of Engagement at Greater Twin Cities United Way. “When students are equipped for the school year, it gives them a feeling of confidence and belonging. Action Day shows kids that our community believes in them and is invested in their success.”

Learn more at gtcuw.org/actionday.

Alongside Action Day 2025, this week Greater Twin Cities United Way released its 2024 Community Impact Report, detailing the organization’s holistic impact in areas such as education, housing, food and more. The full report is now available here.

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About Greater Twin Cities United Way:  Greater Twin Cities United Way unites changemakers, advocates for social good, and develops solutions to address the challenges no one can solve alone to create a community where all people thrive regardless of income, race or place. For more information, visit gtcuw.org and follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.