FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 23, 1999
Community Relations Director
Loretta Harper
919-821-8652
WRAL-TV5’s Coats for the Children Helps Needy Families
Raleigh, NC — For the eleventh year, WRAL-TV5 is collecting coats and money for families in need of winter clothing. Beginning November 20 through December 31st, WRAL’s community partners, Jiffy Lube and Alltel, invite the public to donate new or used coats at any of their locations in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, Spring Lake, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Goldsboro and Sanford.
All donated coats should be clean and in good condition. Any size coat is accepted, however larger sizes for teens and adults are in particular demand this year. Coat collection will continue through December 31, 1999. All coats collected will be distributed to the area Salvation Army offices and given to families in need.
On Friday, December 10th, WRAL-TV5 will broadcast a daylong “Coats For The Children Telethon”, raising money to buy warm winter clothing and undergarments. Telethon operators will accept pledges from 5:00 am until midnight and online donations will be accepted at www.wral-tv.com. The telethon includes three half-hour specials at 10:30am, 12:30pm, 11:35pm, a one-hour entertainment special at 8pm, live remotes from WRAL’s sister station MIX 101.5 FM and WKML in Fayetteville, and a special appeal for Hurricane Floyd victims in eastern NC. Last year’s telethon raised over $70,000 for Salvation Army families in need.
Since 1988, WRAL-TV5 has collected over 55,000 coats and over $400,000, all of which benefits area Salvation Armies and the families they serve. “The money and winter clothing collected gives us an opportunity to serve those who otherwise would have nothing for the winter,” said Lieutenant Todd Mason of the Salvation Army in Wake County. “Our heartfelt thanks to WRAL and the many people who give so generously every year.”
WRAL-TV5 thanks its community partners at Jiffy Lube and Alltel for their longtime support of this project. Special thanks also to Long Transportation, Baker Roofing and Metro Productions who volunteer their services for coat transportation, storage and project signage.
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAL-Digital, WRAL-FM, Microspace, the North Carolina News Network, DTV Plus, Wolfpack Sports Marketing, and Capitol Sports Management in Raleigh, NC; WJZY-TV and WFVT-TV in Charlotte, NC; WILM-TV in Wilmington, NC; WRAZ-TV and the Durham Bulls Baseball Club in Durham, NC; and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Baseball Club in Myrtle Beach, SC; Capitol Broadcasting Company also founded Local TV on Satellite in Raleigh, NC.
