The new school year may be far from the minds of sunbathing schoolchildren, but not from those of the Claremont-based nonprofit Shoes That Fit, which kicked off its Back-to-School Campaign last week. The campaign runs through Sunday, July 29.

Every year, Shoes That Fit partners with schools from local school districts for its yearly campaign to provide needy children with an assortment of school supplies as well as back-to-school shoes and clothes.

“It’s just a natural thing. There’s such a need for shoes for children in the surrounding area and, with going back to school, they are also going to need supplies,” said Jarret Bjornsen of Shoes That Fit.

As part of the project, more than 300 backpacks were crammed into the party room of the Village’s Bath Workshop, which has spearheaded community involvement in the backpack project and other Shoes That Fit campaigns over the last several years. Twice yearly the Claremont Village Marketing Group partners with Shoes That Fit to provide socks, shoes and other needed items.

This cycle’s crop of backpacks will be distributed to participating locations throughout the week, where interested participants may select a pack for the filling. Each backpack contains a nametag with a corresponding child in need of back-to-school assistance. The tag also contains their school grade and shoe size. Participants are asked to fill the backpack with brand new socks, shoes and school items found on a list inside the backpack, which can be found at an array of Village shops.

Participating locations include The Bath Workshop, Some Crust, Saca’s Mediterranean Cuisine, Stamp Your Heart Out, Aromatique, A Brush With the Past, Sonja Stump Photography, Buddhamouse Emporium, Nectar, Bert & Rocky’s Cream Company and Colors 91711.

For more information, call campaign organizers at the Bath Workshop, 625-3417.