While Santa’s sleigh may be parked for the summer, the magic of giving never takes a vacation! That’s right—Santa’s Castle is trading snowflakes for sunshine as we roll into one of our favorite events of the year: the Back-to-School Beach Bash at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) on August 23, 2025!

What’s the Buzz?
Every year, hundreds of military families gather for this splashy summer celebration, filled with fun, food, games, and most importantly, free school supplies and backpacks for military children!

Santa’s Castle, with the help of our generous donors and hardworking elves (a.k.a. volunteers), collects brand-new backpacks stuffed with school essentials to help our young heroes kick off the school year with confidence and a big smile.

What’s in the Bag?
Each backpack is carefully packed with grade-appropriate supplies:
Crayons & markers
Notebooks & folders
Pencils, pens & erasers
Rulers, glue sticks & more

And yes, we add a little sprinkle of Santa-style magic to every pack.

Why We Do It
Military kids face unique challenges—frequent moves, new schools, and parents deployed around the globe. A fresh backpack filled with supplies may seem small, but it’s a powerful way to say: We see you. We support you. We’re cheering you on.

Our mission is to make sure no military child starts the school year feeling left behind—and with your help, we’re making that a reality, one backpack at a time.

Join Us at the Beach!
Find our booth at the Back-to-School Beach Bash on August 23rd. There’ll be music, food trucks, information, and tons of fun for the whole family.

How You Can Help
Want to donate school supplies or backpacks? We’re still collecting! Please email us at admindirector@jblmsantascastle.org. Your support makes a world of difference to our littlest warriors.

Follow us on social media @SantasCastleWA and tag your photos with #BackpackMagic!