The family of the late C. Faye Tillery held their annual school supply giveaway in memory of her on Saturday.

The event was held at the Salvation Army on Bank Street and featured refreshments and a bounce house for children to have fun after they chose school supplies.

“We want to make sure every child left with a smile on their face and they were happy,” said Kim Tillery-Dolberry, a niece of Faye Tillery. “It’s all about them.”

Faye Tillery, who died on Nov. 4, 1998, after a battle with cancer, was a beloved figure in Suffolk and worked with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. She loved doing things for others and especially enjoyed working with children, her family said on Saturday.

“She was unselfish, and she was a leader in the community,” said Tara Tillery-Tucker, another of Faye’s nieces.

“We’re doing what she did,” said Lisa Rountree, another niece of Faye. “She would be here working with children.”

The day was a successful one, with about 135 children coming through as of noon. The event lasted from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“This back-to-school drive is excellent,” said Crystal Artis, a friend of the Tillery family and a special education teacher at King’s Fork Middle School. “It really helps us to help them, so they can come to school prepared. This is something that Faye would want to do.”

Shatara Pitt brought her daughter Zidarreia, 4, to the event to have fun and get a few supplies. Zidarreia is about to enter pre-kindergarten at Nansemond Parkway Elementary School.

“It’s nice to see people give to the community,” Pitt said as Zidarreia showed off her new backpack with animated series characters Shimmer and Shine. “It helps. It’s less stuff I have to buy.”

Rountree said there were about 280 backpacks ready to give away as well as school supplies of all kinds — “anything and everything a child would need,” she said.

Diwan Paskins, a cousin of Faye, comes every year from the Washington, D.C., area, to participate. Many of his friends and coworkers up there donate bookbags for him to bring to the event, he said.

“Faye was all about serving. Everything that she did was always for someone else,” he said. “This is our way of continuing to keep her legacy going.”

This was the sixth year of the giveaway, but the family plans to discontinue the event next year and focus more on its scholarships and other efforts to honor Faye.