Beginning in 2009, the WLOS-TV Spring Clean Coat Drive has brought nearly 100,000 coats and a great amount of warmth to children and adults in western North Carolina. This 12 hour marathon has become they first sign of spring for so many in our mountains.
In partnership with WLOS-TV, My-40, Carolina Furniture Concepts (Airport Rd), Eblen Charities, Two Men and a Truck, and WLOS-TV Spring Clean Coat Drive has provided a great place for neighbors who are cleaning out their closets to donate the coats they may no longer need.
The coats collected during the drive are separated and cleaned during the summer and are distributed beginning in October.
All sizes and styles of coats that are new or gently used, for the many families that Eblen Charities serves each year seeking help in keeping warm during the frigid winter months.
Why a Spring Coat Drive?
After a long winter, many may be tired of their old coat’s style and most children will out grow this year’s coat before next winter arrives. So instead of putting them in boxes to store away or throwing them out, the folks at WLOS-TV came up with the idea that asked the question “why not donate them to a good cause?”
It also seems to be a good time, as people begin to clean out overcrowded closets, to get rid of those bulky winter coats that take up so much space. Also, many retailers will be discounting winter wear to make way for their Spring & Summer lines, so it’s a great time for those who wish to donate to purchase new coats as well. So there is no better time to collect coats.