David Glasser Foundation gets ready for Sunday give-back event

The David Glasser Foundation is getting ready for its first-ever give back event on Sunday.

David Glasser was the Phoenix Police officer killed in the line of duty in May of 2016. The Foundation is collecting backpacks for students at Cheatham Elementary. On Thursday, the supplies that will fill those backpacks were bought.

Family and friends of the fallen police officer filled several carts with school supplies, at a big-box retail store in Goodyear. Their hope was to get 100 backpacks donated to the Foundation on Sunday at an event, so they can fill them with the supplies they bought Thursday.

"This is the first annual event," said Kimberly Van Roekel. "We are so excited for all there is to come, and what a great way to kick the first event off than giving back to children."

The backpack collection event will take place at the Peter Piper Pizza in Laveen, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. On Thursday, Officer Glasser's widow, Kristen, bought carts of school supplies along with family and friends. Besides the family, nine-year-old Leanna McKnight also along for the shopping trip. Leanna had her birthday in June, and instead of getting gifts, she decided to get money to donate to the Foundation to buy supplies.

"My mom is a police officer, so we support David Glasser, and we do a charity every year, so I thought this one was a good one," said Leanna. "I feel very honored. I think I'm doing a really good thing."