In 1987, A Cleaner World kicked off the Give A Kid A Coat program with Kyle Petty and his son donating the first coat at The Salvation Army headquarters in Greensboro.  Twenty-three years and over 635,000 coats later, the program continues to be successful.  "The design is simple," said Chris Edwards, President of A Cleaner World.  "Area residents check their closets for coats they've outgrown or no longer wear.  They drop them off at any A Cleaner World where we clean them and do minor repairs.  The Salvation Army then picks up the coats and distributes them to folks in need."

Each year Give A Kid A Coat kicks off in late October during a live, fun-packed promotional event with its media partners Fox 8/WGHP and 1075KZL and runs for 5 weeks.  This year's kick off was no exception.  The event was filled with music from the Thomasville High School Marching Band, entertainment from the UNCG Cheerleaders, and a pregnant pumpkin contest.  Local radio and television celebrities attended, and Ganache Bakery and Cafe, Hardee's, Dunkin Donuts, and Carter Brothers provided refreshments.  At the end of the kick off, the lobby of our store located at 2527 Eastchester Drive in High Point was filled with 1,075 coats.  Annually, the campaign collects, cleans, and distributes approximately 25,000 coats and since its inception, the campaign has collected, cleaned, and distributed 637,146 coats.

"Folks that come in to receive coats are always so thankful and appreciative," said Captain Tony Perez with The Salvation Army of High Point.  Kim Smith with The Salvation Army of Winston-Salem tells a story from this year's distribution efforts.  "A mom brought her children into our Yadkinville location one morning.  All the children were able to find a coat, with the exception of one of her daughters who looked to be around age seven.  When we stepped in to help, we found a coat with the word princess printed on it.  When her mom saw her in the coat she said, 'Well look at you.  You call yourself a princess and now you have a coat that says princess.'  The little girl left thrilled with her new coat."

"When we started this program 23 years ago, we never imagined we would be where we are today," said Edwards.  "A coat is such a basic need, and we feel like this program is our way to make an impact in our community.  I will never forget about the little girl a few years ago that got a coat with pockets.  She was delighted she had a place to put her hands so they would stay warm.  That's why we do this."

Give A Kid A Coat is sponsored by A Cleaner World, WGHP/Fox 8, 1075KZL, and The Salvation Army. For additional information, contact Chris Edwards at 336-841-4188.