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the community. And it doesn’t matter if it’s Canton or
Waynesville, you see people come together to help those
in need.”
As President of the United Way of Haywood County,
McMahon has a unique perspective on community
needs and the opportunities to give back. Three years
ago he established his own philanthropic project, Back
to School Backpacks. Each year McMahon and his team
at State Farm spearhead a collaborative effort with the
community to provide backpacks loaded full of school
supplies, from pencils to binders to toothbrushes, for
kids in Haywood County. “My team and I have kids in the
school system, and so we just decided that kids were
going to be our thing,” McMahon explained. A fellow
agent in the US conceptualized the idea of providing
backpacks, and McMahon ran with it. With a school
supply list often racking up to well over $1oo per child,
the need for assistance is great in our area.
In just a few years, McMahon’s team has donated more
than 1,100 backpacks. McMahon was shocked by the
community’s response. “Honestly, we would have never
dreamed we would have that many people come through
the office looking for school supplies. We gave out over
260 backpacks in one day. We feel good about being
able to help,” said McMahon.
McMahon hopes to spread awareness and partner with
other companies, groups and organizations in the county.
He believes that with a collaborative effort, the program
can continue to grow and prosper, reaching even more
kids. McMahon recalled, “In our first year, someone on
my team opened my office and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool
if one day we could just have this at Tuscola’s gym or
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Pisgah’s gym, and there were enough supplies that every
kid could come through with a real backpack and fill all of
their school supply needs at one time?’ That’s the dream,
that’s Disney World.”
To learn more about McMahon and Back to School
Backpacks, visit facebook.com/ChadLMcMahon
If you know someone in our community that
Makes A Difference and you think they deserve
to be recognized, please email us at people@
moxxiemarketing.com. Let us know who they are
and how they make a difference.
/ChadLMcMahon
/moxxiemarketing.com