Annual coat drive needs 100 more

Organizers of an annual coat drive for the needy say they still need more than 100 coats to fill local requests.

For boys and girls sizes 3T-6X, more than 200 requests have been received and 58 in that size category have been donated, with another 34 purchased with cash donations, said organizers.

Bicoastal Media Radio is teaming up on the coat drive with Chetco Federal Credit Union, Recology Del Norte, Lucky 7 Casino, and Crescent City’s Les Schwab Tire.

The community is asked to drop off new and gently used coats of all sizes in the “Coats For Kids Cans” located at all branches of CFCU, Lucky 7 Casino, Crescent City Les Schwab Tire and Recology Del Norte or the radio studios at 1345 North­crest Drive.

The coat drive has been held since 1994 with KPOD radio and continues today with all Bicoastal radio stations. Last year, a record of more than 900 coats was collected.

The program has expanded from just kids’ coats to coats of all sizes for toddlers to teens to XXL.

Coat donations will be accepted through Dec. 31. Bicoastal Media Radio arranges for weekly pick-up of donated coats, inspection and cleaning and then distributes the “ready-to-wear” coats from Port Orford, Ore., to Klamath.

“We’re counting on the generosity of our community to supply the need,” said General Manager Rene Shanle-Hutzell.