Families Line Up For Free Coats For Their Kids
Nov 14, 2020, 9:16 PM | Updated: Jul 12, 2023, 5:41 pm
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Imagine waiting in line for three hours, hoping for a way to keep your kids warm this winter. That was the situation outside All Star Bowling in West Valley City early Saturday morning as residents lined up for an opportunity to get free coats for their kids.
Food was also available at the event, courtesy of Aerostar Media, which operates two Hispanic radio stations in the area.
Organizers said they saw a massive increase in need this year.
They had more than 4,000 coats available, but the line stretched all the way around the side of Valley Fair Mall, meaning some kids had to go without.
“What we did was we walked to tell everybody that we had ran out of coats, and they still waited, even if they could get one coat,” said Belia Paz, the general manager of Aerostar Media. “Even if there’s eight kids and we could get one coat, they would take that one coat.”
Organizers believe the impact of the coronavirus was behind this year’s big demand.
They had to turn away more than a thousand kids on Saturday.
Another giveaway has been planned for next month.
Organizers have asked the public for help with donations. For more information, visit the radio station’s website.
