Coats 4 Kids celebrates a big year
—Photo by MARY MALONE In this Oct. 26 photo from the Coats 4 Kids distribution night at the Bonner Mall, 14-month-old Abigail Chandler proudly shows off the new gloves and hat she picked out from the many community donations made this year.
SANDPOINT — During this year's Coats 4 Kids drive in Sandpoint, the community donated about 1,050 coats to share the warmth this winter.
"We all really appreciate the community and the support for another successful year and thank everybody for sharing the warmth for the winter of 2016," said Karen Battenschlag, area event organizer with Coats 4 Kids sponsor, Tomlinson Sotheby's. "We sure couldn't have done it without the community and all our community partners and sponsors."
Distribution ended Tuesday and she said about 30 lightweight coats remain, which will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Several coats were also purchased with $765 in cash donations Battenschlag received from the community.
Overall, the drive exceeded last year's numbers by about 50 coats. Other items collected and distributed this year include 84 winter hats, 52 pairs of gloves and mittens, 47 winter scarves, 43 pairs of snow pants and four pairs of winter boots.
Coats 4 Kids was founded by KXLY 31 years ago.
Three years ago, Battenschlag discovered a second coat campaign taking place at the Bonner Mall and Yoke's, and with the goal of expanding Coats 4 Kids and creating community partners, the two coat campaigns merged under the Coats 4 Kids drive.
Next year's coat drive will begin in September, right after Labor Day, and Battenschlag said that she is looking forward to another successful year.