Amazon announced an easy way for customers to donate a backpack full of school supplies via Alexa to a student in need. Customers simply say, “Alexa, Donate to Happy School Year,” and they will be presented with a backpack offer from Amazon. After the customer confirms the order for donation, Amazon will fill the backpack with basic school supplies and ship it directly to Communities In Schools, the nation’s largest provider of in-school resources and support to students in need. Customers will be delighted by a thank you message from Shaq himself, a member of the Communities in Schools National Board. The curated list of basic school supplies include pencils, pens, a ruler and a notebook and are included within the backpack at no additional cost to the customer.

“Alexa creates convenient time savers for busy customers and their families whether they are building a back-to-school shopping list, asking questions about products, purchasing items for their family or making donations to the community," said Chuck Moore, VP Alexa. “Alexa makes it easy for customers to brighten the start of the school year for children who need it most. Donating is simple - just say ‘Alexa, Donate to Happy School Year.’ We can’t wait to see the generosity of our customers this back-to-school season.”

To give more children the Happy School Year they deserve, Amazon is teaming up with Shaquille O’Neal and Zappos for Good to host back-to-school donation events throughout the summer. Shaq-to-School events will provide school supplies to 5,000 students in need, thanks to donations from Yoobi, Pentel, Hasbro, 3M, JVC, Panasonic and AmazonBasics.

“Education is an important foundation for success,” said O’Neal. “With the Shaq-to-School program, we provide classroom essentials to kids who need them most, allowing them to concentrate on their studies. Thanks to Amazon and Zappos, we’ll reach even more kids with our donations this year.”

Additionally, Amazon teamed up with Ciara to host a Happy School Year block party, where guests donated school supplies at an Alexa Donation Station. The event celebrated the start of a new school year, encouraging students to set intentions for a Happy School Year and participating in activities like a healthy meal planning demonstration, backpack embroidery and sneaker customization.

For more information, please visit www.amazon.com/happyschoolyeardonate.