Approximately 1,000 school-age military children will receive donated school supplies Sunday, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Golden Services, 3305 108th Street South in Lakewood, near McChord Field. The event comes courtesy of Operation Homefront's (OH) Back-to-School Brigade.

The annual, nationwide giveaway of school supplies is extremely popular.

"Our pre-registration filled up in three days," said Adam Jennings, program coordinator for the OH Pacific Northwest chapter, which serves Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Across the United States, Jennings said, OH will benefit more than 29,000 school-age military children in grades K-12 this year.

Operation Homefront is thankful for support from the national chain of Dollar Tree stores, he added.

"Every Dollar Tree store is contributing to this event," he explained. "Dollar Tree has been a big supporter. When a customer comes in, they're asked if they want to donate $1 to the Back-to-School Brigade."

The donation period at all Dollar Tree stores started in mid-July and runs until the second week in August. The monetary donations are used to purchase Dollar Tree school supplies for the Back-to-School Brigade.

Jennings, the only paid staffer for the OH Pacific Northwest chapter, relies heavily on volunteers who go to the individual Dollar Tree stores to pick up school supplies and deliver them to Golden Services for distribution day.

Operation Homefront's Back-to-School Brigade, according to a release from the media relations department of OH, aims to "enhance the morale and success of military children, while easing some of the inherent strain of military life."

According to an August 2014 NBC News story cited by Operation Homefront, prices for school supplies increased 12 percent over 2013. An average of more than $100 is spent per child. Nationwide, there are more than 1.2 million children of active-duty servicemembers.

Jennings, a Marine Corps retiree and wounded warrior, said it's nice to work for an organization that puts its heart and money back into military families.

In addition to Sunday's event in Lakewood, upcoming Back-to-School Brigade events this month include:

Aug. 21, 2 to 4 p.m. in Oak Harbor

Aug. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Silverdale

Aug. 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Kent

Registration is still open for these event days. Visit operationhomefront.net for registration details. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, Jennings invites the public to visit operationhomefront.net and click on the "Get Involved" link on the homepage.