A charity backpack giveaway planned for Saturday, July 25, at Market Square was canceled after community members complained about the involvement of Lake Forest High School's Club America, a student organization affiliated with the national conservative group Turning Point USA.

Fill a Heart 4 Kids has not publicly explained the cancellation, and no critics of the event have spoken on the record. This account is based primarily on statements Club America president Maggie Corbett made to the Lake County Gazette.

The Fill a Heart 4 Kids Backpack Party would have provided free backpacks and school supplies to children in need, along with food from Donati's Pizza, lemonade, cookie decorating and volunteer opportunities. Fill a Heart 4 Kids, the Lake Forest-based nonprofit founded by Annie McAveeney, serves approximately 4,000 foster, homeless and at-risk children annually across the Chicago area, according to a 2025 profile in JWC Media.

Corbett, 18, entering her senior year at LFHS, told the Gazette she approached McAveeney about a month before the event to propose a partnership. McAveeney agreed, and the Fill a Heart 4 Kids board approved the collaboration after discussing the event's purpose and Club America's Turning Point USA affiliation, according to Corbett.

Complaints began after promotional flyers went out and community members learned Club America was co-organizing the event.

Corbett said McAveeney told her in a phone call that community members had called the club "radical" and "disgusting," and that one person threatened to cut funding to the nonprofit if the event proceeded. McAveeney has not publicly confirmed or denied this account.

Corbett said she had disclosed Club America's Turning Point USA affiliation to McAveeney multiple times before the partnership was approved. She characterized the cancellation as "political discrimination" against students who wanted to volunteer for a nonpolitical charity event. A private nonprofit is not legally required to accept any particular volunteer partnership.

"I think it's really unfortunate because there's children who need things and I feel like it's political discrimination to not allow children in high school to go and volunteer at an organization," Corbett told the Gazette.

The LFHS Club America chapter was approved in 2025 and focuses on discussion, community service and civic engagement. Corbett said the chapter welcomes both liberal and conservative students and has a faculty sponsor at every meeting. Turning Point USA is a national conservative advocacy organization whose chapters are prohibited from endorsing candidates.

After the event was called off, Club America sought other charity partners but could not find one before Saturday. Corbett said the club has identified other organizations to work with for future events but did not name them.

Neither Lake Forest High School District 115 nor Market Square management has issued a statement about the cancellation.