Collection of warm winter clothing and new toys through Dec. 31
Coats for the Children Telethon on Friday, Dec. 11
WRAL-TV is once again collecting warm winter clothing, money and new toys for Salvation Army families in need. This annual community service campaign, presented by Jiffy Lube and Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, is one of WRAL-TV’s signature events. Nov. 21 through Dec. 31, WRAL-TV invites the public to donate new or gently used coats and new toys at participating Jiffy Lube locations in Holly Springs, Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Durham, Fayetteville, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Goldsboro, Raleigh, Spring Lake, Wake Forest and Wilson.
“For 32 years, this community has supported WRAL and The Salvation Army in this effort,” said Major Al Newsome, area commander of The Salvation Army of Wake and Lee Counties. “Due to COVID-19, we urgently need you to wrap a family in love by providing a coat to a child. Your donations of coats or monetary gifts are greatly appreciated and will contribute to the success of the season.”
WRAL is asking the public to donate new or gently used clothing items including coats, gloves, and hats, as well as new long underwear, t-shirts and socks to completely outfit a child for the winter months.
On Friday, Dec. 11, WRAL-TV will broadcast its annual Coats for the Children Telethon, raising money to buy new, warm winter clothing and undergarments for Salvation Army families in need. Operators will be accepting pledges during this day-long Telethon, that includes a one-hour live special at 1 p.m. and a half-hour live special at 7 p.m.
“Coats for the Children is an important annual event for WRAL and the entire community, especially during a year like this,” says WRAL-TV Vice President and General Manager Joel Davis. “With COVID-19 putting many at risk in our community, WRAL is proud to have found a way to pull off this virtual telethon to give back to those who are in need of warm clothes. We’ve seen our community come together before, and are inspired to see how many families we can outfit together for the hard winter season ahead of us.”
Credit card donations can be made Nov. 21 through Dec. 31 online at WRAL.com or through our WRAL News App by searching the keyword “Coats.” You can also donate by texting “Coats” to 41444 to make a debit/credit card donation of any amount. To completely outfit a child this winter, the “magic number” to donate is $125.
Other information such as coat drop-off locations, participating Salvation Army branches, and general campaign details can also be found on WRAL.com.
When donating coats or new toys, share a selfie using #WRALCoats, then watch for yourself on TV during the Coats for the Children telethon on Dec. 11!
Since 1989, WRAL-TV has collected more than 176,650 coats and raised more than $2 million to provide winter clothing for Salvation Army families.
WRAL-TV thanks community partners Jiffy Lube and Chiesi Pharmaceuticals for their support of this project.
Thanks to WRAL-TV for this Capcom story & graphic.