Chiefs safety Eric Berry gives away backpacks to local families

With a little help from his foundation — not to mention his parents — Chiefs safety Eric Berry gave away 500 backpacks filled with school supplies to local youths on Friday.

Youths and their families were also treated to free food and games at the giveaway, which was held in front of the Dick's Sporting Goods in Independence.

“I envisioned relieving a little stress of the parents,” Berry said. “It's something a lot of people overlook, but when my mom was trying to get me and my brothers' school supplies, it seemed like it was a scramble, like it was a scavenger hunt.”

Berry's mother, Carol, and father, James, were also in attendance to distribute supplies while Berry happily signed autographs and took pictures with those who attended.

“It's not a big, big thing, but it's something you can take off their plate so they can focus on something else and don't have to worry about paying for (it),” Berry said. “They can put their money toward something else.”

Other notables who signed autographs at the event were Sporting Kansas City defender Chance Myers, former Chiefs guard Rokevious Watkins and Miss Kansas Charity Stowers.

This story was originally published August 9, 2014 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Chiefs safety Eric Berry gives away backpacks to local families."