15th annual ‘Koats 4 Kids’ hoping for strong comeback after 2020 donations were down

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A Colorado Springs annual coat drive is returning for its 15th year, trying to collect 400 coats for local school students.

Event organizers say that goal is a bit ambitious given the coat drive normally rakes in about 300 coats, but organizers are hopeful.

“We are setting our standards high for year 15,” organizer Courtney Olson said. “I am hoping for a strong rebound, and I’m hoping everyone will come out and be as excited as we are.”

The event will be at The Pinery on the Hill event venue from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22. There will be live music, refreshments, a silent auction, and more. Your ticket to enter is just one new coat with the tags on -- no ticket purchase or RSVP needed. Organizers ask for coats in children’s’ sizes 6-16 and rated for 32 degrees or colder. They suggest opting for larger sizes rather than smaller, so children can use the coats potentially more than one year.

Olson says this cause has touched her family.

“My father went without a coat his childhood, and so he always talked about how much it meant to him when people came forward and did things like this, so it’s something very near to me.”

Coats will be gathered front and center on stage at the event, and one by one the donation pile will grow.

“It makes me cry every single time I see that coat pile, just seeing community come together,” Olson added.

All donated coats will go to Aragon Elementary.

“It gets the kids to school that have to walk. For the long awaited snow days, they get to build a snowman.”

Money raised from the silent auction and other fundraising efforts will go to District 11′s Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning.

Olson thanked the organization’s sponsors, saying it would not be possible without them. Click here to learn more about Koats 4 Kids.

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