WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Inside the cafeteria at St. Aloysius Church in Wilkes-Barre, kids and parents packed in for a holiday party Sunday afternoon.
It was all part of the annual Warm Coats for Kids Drive, run by the Back Mountain Police Association.
“There's a need, people come, and they get what they need,” said Ross Piazza, Vice President of the Back Mountain Police Association and co-chairman of the drive.
The association, in partnership with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of NEPA, has been handing out coats to kids who need them for more than a decade. And it all leads up to the big holiday party – complete with food, like pizza and hot dogs, homemade cookies, hot chocolate -- and of course -- Santa Claus.
Ross Piazza says he started Warm Coats for Kids after seeing children waiting for school buses without coats.
"It broke his heart to see kids standing out in the cold that didn't have the right apparel for the temperature,” said Michael Huntzinger, who serves as President of the Back Mountain Police Association.
"I could say over the last eleven years, we distributed probably over 4,000 coats and several thousand hats and gloves,” Piazza said.
This year, Katrina Toporcer, with Big Brothers Big Sisters of NEPA, says 57 of the coats went to the youth in her program, and more went out to other groups.
"Almost everybody that we had called wanted to be included in the program and wanted to get a coat, so there's definitely a need out there,” she said.
"Especially now, with COVID, and the way things are going financially for people, it's more than ever,” Piazza said.
The party was started back up again after it was canceled last year due to COVID.
"Luckily, we're back this year, and we're able to get coats out to who needs them,” said Toporcer.
Volunteers were happy to be back, too, and some, like Courtney Hontz, a volunteer police officer, was helping out for the first time.
"I couldn't wait for this,” said Hontz.
"Thank you to everyone who volunteers. Thank you to Santa, thank you, really to everyone,” said Sadie Cummings, a volunteer.
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