Barbecue, Backpacks & Big Hearts: Reyna’s Back-to-School Tradition in its 8th Year

(This article was written by Abigail Muniz-Garcia and was featured in the August 2025 issue of Explore Harlingen Magazine.)

It was the summer of 2018, and Reyna’s BBQ & Cocina had just opened its Weslaco location in May. Children were out for summer break with many heading to the beach. But in late June, an event that the National Weather Service called The Great June 2018 Flood of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), impacted the area costing the RGV millions.

“The city of Weslaco got flooded pretty bad,” Zeke Reyna, owner of Reyna’s BBQ & Cocina remembers. “A lot of neighborhoods, a lot of people were going to lose their homes.”

One morning that week, after a significant amount of rain had devastated the area, Reyna realized people weren’t going to be able to reach their restaurant due to flooding. He decided to give away the food they were preparing for the day.

“It was the right thing to do. It’s who and what we are about,” Reyna said. “We gave away hundreds, thousands of sandwiches. It was a ton.”

Reyna remembers the “beautiful response” not only from Weslaco but the whole RGV. This event led Reyna to start planning a back-to-school giveaway.

“We started raising some funds to do a back-to-school giveaway. That’s how it started… and it started growing and growing,” he said.

Reyna’s BBQ & Cocina, along with the Reyna Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization Zeke and his family founded, have hosted these events both in the Weslaco and Harlingen restaurant locations. This year will be their eighth year. They, along with other sponsors, give away backpacks filled with school supplies to students in the community. This year will mark the first time they add McAllen to the list at Reyna’s BBQ & Cocina’s newest location. They have given out more than 500 backpacks per location in the past, and they aren’t slowing down.

“The last two to four years have been incredibly meaningful because of the inflation that has unfortunately occurred in our economy,” he said. “So to see the kids show up... it’s been awesome.”

Erika Reyna, Zeke’s wife, says that the Reyna Family Foundation is incredibly blessed to host this event annually.

Photo courtesy of Reyna Family Foundation.

“As a mom, I know how overwhelming the back-to-school season can be,” she said. This event is our way of giving back, lifting up families, and making a positive impact on their back-to-school experience.”

She mentioned that the past few years, the Weslaco Dreamettes have been instrumental in ensuring everything for the drive is ready. They help prepare and hand out backpacks.

Photo courtesy of Reyna Family Foundation.

For Erika, the giveaway is more than just backpacks and school supplies.

“It’s about showing up for our community, supporting the children of our future, and letting every child know they are seen, valued, and capable of great things. It’s a tradition rooted in love, and we’re honored to continue it year after year,” she said.

The Reyna Family Foundation’s 8th Annual Back to School Giveaway will be held Friday, August 1 at their McAllen location, and Saturday, August 2 at their Weslaco and Harlingen restaurants. The drive-thru event will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. For more information, follow Reyna’s BBQ & Cocina on Instagram and Facebook (@reynasbarbq) and visit reynafamilyfoundation.com.

Other Back-to-School giveaways across the RGV: