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The Salvation Army partners with Fred Meyer and Lynden Transport to provide snow jackets and pants to children in Alaska.
By Jenni Ragland
Freddy’s Coats for Kids made its debut in December 2011 as The Salvation Army, Fred Meyer and Lynden Transport joined forces to announce their new partnership, which will provide coats and snow pants for thousands of Alaskan kids in 16 communities across the state. Governor Sean Parnell and Mayor Dan Sullivan joined the kickoff.
Major George Baker, divisional commander, helped deliver about 60 coats to children in the small town of Wales.
“It was just like Christmas, seeing the kids so excited to try on their new coats,” Baker said. “We are thankful to be the recipients of such generosity that will benefit children throughout Alaska!”
Fred Meyer Stores teamed with iApparel, manufacturers of iExtreme and Pink Platinum clothing lines, to purchase the clothing for $10,000. Lynden Transport carried 10,000 coats and 4,000 pairs of snow pants to the villages, which translates to a more than $10,000 transportation donation.
“Alaska has been such an amazing place to do business,” Norm Mills, vice president and regional director of sales for Fred Meyer Stores in Alaska, said. “We polled our employees about a year ago and asked what we could do to give back, and the resounding answer was to put coats on kids.”
Fred Meyer, Lynden Transport and The Salvation Army plan to make their clothing distribution an annual event, with plans to include more communities as the program grows.
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