Bettendorf, Iowa - Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Rotary Clubs of Bettendorf, Davenport and Iowa Quad-Cities, 966 Iowa Quad-City school children in families with limited means will have warm coats this winter.
The clubs received generous donations from their own members and outside donors, and leveraged those donations with matching funds from the Rotary District 6000 (Southern Iowa) annual Warm Coat Drive.
The coats will arrive by truck at 9 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 17) at the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency, 729 21st St., Bettendorf. They will be distributed to children as part of the AEA's David E. Lane Coats for Kids Program.
"This program is especially meaningful for Bettendorf Rotarians," said Bettendorf Rotary President Kevin Kraft. "This is not a budgeted item, so every year we simply ask our members to reach into their pockets and donate what they can. To work with other Rotarians to provide nearly 1,000 new coats to kids in our community is gratifying beyond words."
"The Coats for Kids project has been such a rewarding experience for the Davenport Rotary. There's something special about being able to put a warm coat on a child in need," says Rotary Club of Davenport President Tom Bowman. "We also appreciate the opportunity to partner with the other area Rotary groups to extend the reach of the program throughout the Iowa Quad Cities."
Operation Warm Coat provides brand new winter coats to children in need, giving them a newfound freedom and confidence to play, learn and do more. To date, Operation Warm Coat has given winter coats to more than 1.7 million children throughout America and beyond.
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.
The Bettendorf Rotary Club was chartered on May 22, 1957, and has more than 100 members fulfilling the Rotary mission. Rotary Club of Davenport is the oldest service club in the Quad Cities, chartered on November 11, 1911. The Rotary Clubs of Bettendorf and Davenport co-sponsored the Iowa Quad Cities club in 1985. All three clubs work to fulfill the mission of "Service Above Self" in a variety of local, regional, national and international community volunteer projects.
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