At Thursday’s Fort Hays State University basketball games, Norman Mermis will be recognized as the latest Covenant Builders Hometown Hero.

Mermis and his late wife, Dorothy, started the annual coat drive almost 20 years ago. Most years, nearly 1500 coats, hats and gloves are given away free of charge.

Mermis and the staff at Top Notch Cleaner Repair clean these coats for free so not one person has to go through the cold weather without a warm coat. He has also helped numerous individuals who were either stranded because of weather, locked their keys in the car, or just down on their luck throughout the years.

“Norman is an amazing person with a big heart so join us to honor him at tonight’s game,” Covenant said in a news release.

Tip for the women’s game against Central Missouri is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., with the men’s game set to begin at 7:30 p.m.