Warner winter coat drive underway | FOX 2 St. Louis

Wed November 6, 2013

Read the original story on FOX 2 St. Louis

UNVERSITY CITY, MO. (KTVI) – Operation Food Search got the first donation of coats from the USAgain recycling company as part of the Warner’s Warm-Up Coat Drive.

USAgain Division Manager Tom Jacquin admitted he did not know how many coats were in all the boxes that filled a moving truck top to bottom.

“I did weigh them,” he said. “There’s about 3,600 pounds of coats in there.” USAgain donated to the drive run by former St. Louis Rams Quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda. They lead the First Things First Foundation.

“Surprisingly, every year we collect about 15,000 coats,” said Foundation Program Director Jennifer Zink. “Every year, we get all those coats out into the community. We still have calls for more coats.”

Operation Food Search Executive Director Sunny Schaeffer said the need is greater than in any of her 18 years with the agency.

“Children sometimes are kept home, because it’s too cold to go out and go to school,” she explained. “And other times, they go to school with no coat.”

The Warner’s left St. Louis in 2004. They have been reaching out to the city ever since. “They love St. Louis,” Zink said. “So while there’s a need for coats, they will always come back and support the St. Louis Community.”

The drive goes through November 14, 2013. Here is how you can donate.

For more information click on the Warner Warm-Up Coat Drive.