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Coats 4 Kids

What: Shimkat Motor Co. is accepting donations of new and gently used children's coats, boots, snowpants, hats and gloves to be given to area elementary school children.

Where: Donations may be dropped off at Shimkat Motor Co., 3126 Fifth Ave. S.

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon.

Note: Call Shimkat Motor Co. at 573-1764 for more information.

A local auto dealership is helping to keep school children warm during the coldest months of the year.

Coats 4 Kids, sponsored by Shimkat Motor Co., will provide new and gently used winter coats, hats, mittens, gloves and boots to elementary school children in the Fort Dodge Community School District.

For the past several years, Ed Shimkat Jr., general manager of Shimkat Motor Co., and his wife, Lisa, have donated coats for needy students at Duncombe Elementary, where their children attended elementary school. This year, while donating the coats, the Shimkats realized just how great the need for warm coats was.

"Lisa was busy this year, so she had me take the coats over to Duncombe," Ed Shimkat said. "It was really an eye opener for me as I talked to Nancy (Bundy, secretary at Duncombe Elementary) to find out how important these coats are and what a need there really is for them."

Together, the couple decided it would be a good idea to get the community involved by holding a coat drive. It is their goal to fill the backs of the vehicles in the showroom at Shimkat Motor Co. with winter clothing that will be taken to the schools.

Shimkat said they will begin distributing coats right away so no child will have to wait for warm winter gear.

"We plan to hand them out as they come in and not all at once," he said. "We could collect them and take them to the schools all at once before Christmas, but that is three weeks that some of those children could be going without a warm coat."

With recent winter weather requiring parents to dig deep into the closets for their children's snowpants, boots and gloves, Shimkat said this is a good time for families to donate what they won't be using.

"Now is a time when parents are getting out the coats and snowpants to see if they'll fit their kids this year," he said. "We'll be glad to take anything that doesn't fit."

Shimkat said they may even extend the coat drive into the January and February, if needed.

Contact Emilie Nelson at (515) 573-2141 or enelson@messengernews.net