It was heart-warming to hear Friday that 596 coats were collected the day before as part of the 2008 Otsego County Coats for Kids drive, led by Maier & Associates Financial Group.
In addition, there were snowpants, hats, gloves and mittens and boots, collectively by the hundreds.
It is intensely gratifying to see our community turn out in this way to help those who don't have the right gear for our cold winter months ahead. There were more coats gathered this year than last, with things generally going much worse for more people.
Everyone deserves thanks for participating, but two groups stand a little above the rest. The Gaylord Evangelical Free Church made up the difference in local donations to push those to $5,000, earning the $5,000 match from Maier & Associates. And then come the children —Trent Bolen , Carter Sitz and Cora Born — who literally gave the coats off of their backs.