Pittsburgh firefighters union helping children stay warm with winter coat drive
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh firefighters are spending the weekend ensuring local children have warm coats for winter.
While we have not had much fall chill this season, winter is fast approaching. At the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters Local No. 1 Union Hall on Flowers Avenue in Hazelwood, they held a Coats for Kids Winter Coat Drive on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Families with children from kindergarten to fifth grade could take advantage of the drive.
"I want to get a 'Stitch' coat," Elizabeth Williams, of the South Side said, referring to the character from the popular Disney "Lilo and Stitch" movie.
Aceton Hill was able to find one he liked, too.
"My coat is big and puffy," Hill said. "It's a nice color and it fits me!"
The kids also got to scope out the perfect hats and gloves.
"My favorite color is blue," John Gee, of Clairton, said.
Blue was the color of choice for the volunteers. Many of them are firefighters who recognize a need.
"We see the children walking around sometimes with no coat, a coat that's the wrong size for them," Ralph Sicuro, president of Pittsburgh Fire Fighters IAFF Local No. 1, said.
Sometimes, a good coat can cost a lot.
"We know that a lot of families are struggling, especially nowadays with the economy as it is," Sicuro said.
That's why the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters raised over $30,000. There were so many brown boxes there, with about 2,000 coats.
"The firefighters around the city do fundraisers like Fill the Boot at Penguin games," Sean O'Leary, event organizer for Coats for Kids, said. "We do Night at the Races."
The Pittsburgh Penguins, MSA Safety and Duquesne Light Company are also participating in the coat drive. For the firefighters, it helps build relationships.
"There's a lot of positive feedback that we get in the field from kids that we're helping in real-time," O'Leary said.
For people like Elizabeth, the bar for satisfaction is simple.
"It's gonna help me not be cold, so I'm gonna like it," she said.
Any leftover coats from this weekend's drive will go to Pittsburgh Public Schools and community organizations to give coats to any kid they see without one.