When the school year approaches, many families in Eugene worry about sending their children to class without the basics. Seeing that need, local food‑cart entrepreneur Trey Dougherty, owner of Chilly Cupz, has made it his mission to ensure no kid in his community starts the year empty‑handed.
From shaved‑ice cart to backpack drive
After a summer of selling Hawaiian shaved ice from his west‑Eugene cart, Dougherty set aside $1,000 from his cash register and began a door‑to‑door campaign for donations. The effort quickly grew, filling his home with hundreds of backpacks in a variety of colors and themes – pink, green, neutral blacks and greys, as well as popular designs like Mario, Spider‑Man and Pac‑Man.
“The support is mutual,” Dougherty said. “I’m giving back to a community I’ve grown up in my whole life.” He grew up in the same neighborhoods where today his customers – children thirsty for a cold treat on 90‑degree days – stop by to pick up a backpack for their own kids.
Community partnership and a block‑party celebration
Last summer, Dougherty teamed with the owner of neighboring food cart Bro Tato to launch the first backpack drive. Together they distributed flyers at police and fire stations, libraries and local businesses. The partnership turned the giveaway into a free block party: parents collected backpacks while children enjoyed a bounce house, waterslide, popcorn and lemonade.
When Bro Tato’s owner stepped away, Dougherty carried the tradition forward on his own. This year he purchased roughly 330 backpacks, funded by community donations and additional cash from his register. Though there was no bounce house or waterslide this time, the event still drew families who gathered to receive supplies and share a sense of fellowship.
Family involvement and personal motivation
In late August, the night before the drive, Dougherty’s grandmother helped fill the backpacks with pencils, water bottles, folders and other donated items. When she asked, “Trey, this is a lot of backpacks – are we packing all of these tonight?” he replied by buying her a big pizza and getting to work.
Dougherty, who grew up in Eugene and says he “came from zero,” spent years delivering food before saving enough to buy his own cart. He acknowledges the challenges many families face: “We live in a hard world. Everything is expensive. I’m a small‑business owner myself. Things go up every year, I get it.”
Impact on families
Parents expressed deep gratitude. One mother, tears in her eyes, told Dougherty, “We really needed this.” A child who couldn’t find a yellow backpack left the cart empty‑handed, only to receive a bright yellow bag when Dougherty offered his own spare.
Beyond the backpacks, Dougherty often gives free shaved‑ice cups to kids who can’t afford a treat, reinforcing his belief that “if someone needs help, help them.” He says the smiles he sees during the drive “make my day for weeks.”
Supporting a city with high poverty rates
According to local data, about one in five residents of Eugene lives in poverty. Dougherty’s grassroots effort provides a tangible reminder that private citizens and small businesses can step in to fill gaps where resources are scarce.
As the new school year begins, the tradition continues to grow, driven by the generosity of neighbors, local businesses and the unwavering commitment of a food‑cart owner who believes that helping a child succeed is a step toward a better community for everyone.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
