The sudden buzzing of a kazoo caused a handful of children to delve deep into new backpacks to find the instrument that would let them add to a noisy unplanned symphony at Shepherd's Way homeless shelter in Fort Lauderdale on Friday.

They would soon discover those same backpacks contained books, binders, pens and even daily planners -- all brand-new and purchased just for them.

Throughout the Broward School District on Friday, similar discoveries were being made by underprivileged students in shelters. Broward County Schools' Homeless Education Program and the Kids 4 Kids Fill A Backpack Campaign provided an education shopping spree for more than 500 students.

Patricia Canty, a resident at the shelter for three months, said the program helps the children because their parents can't afford to buy such nice things.

"They would have had old stuff," said Canty, who has three children, ages 12, 10 and 9. "Some parents have to swallow their pride. If you need help, go for it. Everybody falls down and needs a helping hand," she said.

This is the second year the two groups are teaming up to hand out backpacks to children in Broward. Every year since 1996, Kids 4 Kids, a self-esteem program, has donated about 5,500 new backpacks to homeless, abused, foster and migrant children. Broward County Schools has been providing supplies for 10 years.

Together Friday, they delivered packs to about 12 shelters, including Children's Home Society. In the coming days, Kids 4 Kids will fill roughly 4,000 backpacks for children in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

"We wanted them to have something new," said Beth Davis, founder of Kids 4 Kids, who noted school supplies can cost $30 to $40. The 4,500 backpacks and supplies, purchased with donations from sponsors such as Union Bank and MARS Music -- provider of 3,000 kazoos -- were bought at a wholesale price of $50,000, or $200,000 off the retail value, Davis said.

On Friday, not even the hot morning sun could chase the children away from a table stacked with boxes of new books, also donated by area businesses. Even the prekindergarteners quickly grasped the idea of grabbing as many books as they were allowed and stuffing them into their new backpacks. Smaller, colorful backpacks went to the younger children; older children, up to middle-school age, received black, heavy-duty book bags.

Broward County Schools' Homeless Education Program is seeking donations for homeless children. For information, call Dianne Sepielli, project manager, at 954-768-8983.

Individuals who wish to make donations to Kids 4 Kids can send them to: Kids 4 Kids, P.O. Box 165802, Miami, FL 33116.

Toni Marshall can be reached at tmarshall@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4550.

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