To the editor:

The Community Health Center of Fort Dodge and Shimkat Motor Co. would like to thank the community for their outpouring of support for the 10th annual Coats for Kids coat drive. This joint project collects coat donations, both new and gently used, as well as other winter items to distribute to children in our community who are without a warm coat facing our cold Iowa winter.

The need is great and through your coat donations and financial donations we gave away a record number of coats this year. Approximately 528 coats were distributed plus hats, mittens and snow pants to many of the kids.

We appreciate local businesses providing us with additional drop-off locations to make it easy for the community to contribute. Coldwell Banker, Mineral City Mill and Grill as well as Perkins provided that assistance.

We appreciate businesses, service groups, and individuals who gave financial donations. These donations help us purchase coats in sizes that are most popular.

We appreciate each and every person who purchased a coat or gave a gently used coat. We also received many handmade hats. How neat! Thank you to all of the makers out there.

We asked and you answered! Our children are lucky to have a community that cares and responds.

Way to go!

Regina Suhrbier

Outreach Coordinator

Community Health Center

of Fort Dodge

TJ Pingel

General Manager

Shimkat Motor Co.