Brooklyn BP Reynoso, Electeds Join HANYC and NYSLRA For Backpack Giveaway

BROOKLYN, NY (08/19/2026) (readMedia)-- On Friday, the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) and New York State Latino Restaurant Association (NYSLRA) joined Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, State Senator Julia Salazar and representatives from the NYC Council for a back-to-school giveaway in Bushwick. The group distributed 200 backpacks and school supplies to kids across the borough as families prepare for the school year.

View images of the event here.

"Every child deserves to walk into a new school year feeling prepared, confident, and excited about what's ahead," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "I'm grateful to HANYC Foundation for supporting our students, and I'm proud to partner with the HANYC Foundation, Senator Salazar, Council Member Nurse, the New York State Latino Restaurant, Bar, & Lounge Association, and LINC to make sure Brooklyn's young people have the essentials they need to learn and thrive."

"The Hotel Association represents tens of thousands of workers and local businesses across the five boroughs, and we are committed to uplifting our communities so that every family can succeed. We are proud to support Brooklyn students and their families as they head back to school, and we are grateful to Borough President Reynoso, State Senator Salazar, and Council Members Sandy Nurse and Jennifer Gutierrez for standing with us to invest in the next generation of New Yorkers," said Vijay Dandapani, President and CEO, Hotel Association of New York City.

"Our restaurants are neighborhood institutions. The families who came through the doors at Salud Bar & Grill on Friday are the same families who eat with us, work alongside us, and raise their children on these blocks. Sending those children into the school year with what they need is simply what it means to belong to a community. We are grateful to the HANYC, Borough President Reynoso, and LINC for standing with our members," said Sandra Jaquez, President, New York State Latino Restaurant, Bar and Lounge Association.

Following the event, Borough President Reynoso's office issued a proclamation acknowledging HANYC's contributions to the borough and thanking the Association for its ongoing support of local communities and students.

HANYC will continue its back-to-school giveaway series next week with elected officials in Washington Heights, continuing its effort to support working families before the first day of school. The series is part of HANYC's broader, year-round commitment to investing in the neighborhoods that its tens of thousands of employees call home.

ABOUT HANYC

The Hotel Association of New York City, Inc. is the oldest hotel association in the nation, representing nearly 300 hotels with more than 80,000 rooms and approximately 50,000 employees. As an internationally recognized leader in New York City's $11 billion tourism industry, the Association advocates on federal, state, and city policy matters to anticipate the growing needs for its member hotels within New York City's changing economic and political climate. Learn more at hanyc.org.