The 16th annual Hays Coat Drive is about to begin. Coats can be dropped off/donated from September 16th – October 4th. The donated items will be cleaned and set out at Master Cleaners and Top Notch Cleaners at 8th and Fort on Saturday October 12th 9am – 2pm.
Ryan Gottschalk of Master Cleaners told Hays Post that he estimates around 1500 coats were received last year to be distributed in Hays. He added that he accepts coats year round to be given away to families that need/want them, but as part of the drive, he and other businesses take extra steps to gather donations. He said he will be contacting churches in the area to accept donations and mention the drive to their congregations, and kids can take extra jackets / coats to school to be picked up by volunteers. Both McDonald’s locations will also have a place to donate coats, as will Casual Graphics.
Amy Mermis-Smith of Top Notch Cleaners, whose father Norman Mermis started the coat drive 16 years ago, told Hays Post that anyone who needs a jacket can stop by. All donations are intended to be given away, and any coats left over after the giveaway will be distributed to a church or local group that gives them out throughout the year.
She added that even long-time residents may not be aware that the coat drive is for anyone to take part in, whether it’s just to have a spare jacket in the car, to find jackets to fit children who have outgrown last year’s clothes, or for adults that need some extra protection from cold weather.
“I had a couple people come in, and one lady told me that she didn’t even realize that we had the coat drive. She said she is a foster parent and her husband had recently lost his job and they were talking about it with their foster children and one of them suggested they come down and get coats at the coat drive. She came in to thank us for it because she said that even though this is the first time they had to use it, they really appreciated the fact that they were able to get coats for the whole family at no cost. Hopefully they’ve gotten back on their feet again, but if not, she knows they are welcome to come back and get more coats.”
Mermis also said that the kid’s coats usually go fairly fast, and she encouraged people looking for child-sized coats to arrive early on October 12th.
All donated items are completely free to the public, regardless of living situation, income, family size etc. The only request is that people exercise caution and courtesy when looking through the donations and when traveling between the two locations.