“We know how cold these winters can get here in Minnesota,” said Sarah Huynh, a student at Blaine HS.
For over three decades Blaine High has been part of Coats for Kids – a charity that is designed to warm people up. This year the tradition continues.
“We’ve been doing it for 31 years,” said Blaine teacher Holly Boisjolie, who is part of the effort to collect coats.
North Metro residents have between now and November 2nd to donate a coat or jacket so no one has to freeze when the thermometer drops.
“It’s a nice way to remind people that winter is coming, to make sure they get those closets cleaned out,” Boisjolie said. “There’s Minnesotans that don’t have winter coats. It’s from infants to adults.”
“We want to enrich the community of Blaine,” said Bengals student Kreem Ibrahim. “We want to make sure that everyone, not just in Blaine, but anywhere in Minnesota has coats in this cold season.”
Lofty goals
Blaine students are motivated by the chance to give back and do some good in the community. They have lofty goals this year.
“We have over 600 right now,” Boisjolie said. “Now we just want to reach as many as we can. If we can get to a thousand that would be amazing because we know the impact that it makes on the community and the people that are receiving those coats.”
“For families that are struggling financially it’s really important to be able to give to kids and our neighbors,” Huynh said.
The students also learn the value of teamwork as they are part of the coat-gathering process.
“Everyone really needs to put their heads together and go after one big cause,” Ibrahim said. “Because if it’s just one or two people doing one thing then we’re not really going to get anywhere.”
Said Huynh: “We all have to lean on each other and work together as a community and give back to one another.”
According to Boisjolie any jacket donated goes to good use.
“A simple coat could make the difference to someone being warm this winter,” Boisjolie said. “I think that’s something that we kind of take for granted so I hope the kids learn that there’s a lot of people that are struggling and a simple coat will make them happy this winter.”
“We want to make sure that everyone has access to these things because obviously we know it gets cold outside in Minnesota,” Ibrahim said.
Coats have been donated from all across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin. Pilgrim Dry Cleaners is cleaning the coats, then giving the jackets to local charities, churches and schools in the North Metro.
