Operation Warm combined the Minneapolis and Coon Rapids Fire Departments together. They handed out hundreds of free coats to kids Monday. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minneapolis Fire Department teamed up with Coon Rapids Tuesday to bring warmth to children in need.
The fire departments are embarking together on what’s known as Operation Warm.
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Firefighters donate coats as part of Operation Warm
Firefighters with Coon Rapids and Minneapolis helped donate coats to those in need as part of Operation Warm.
The Minneapolis team has been distributing free winter coats to kids for six years now, but this year they brought Coon Rapids on board. The collaboration is helping make a difference in the lives of children across the Twin Cities metro area.
Together, they gave away more than 350 brand new winter coats.
“We don’t turn anybody down if we can make it happen,” said Mark Lakosky, of Minneapolis Fire.
“We just want those kids to be warm and to feel safe and have a good coat,” said Nick House, of Coon Rapids Fire.
The students appeared thankful, giving thumbs up and thanking officers personally.
“It’s going to be a big help for a lot of students,” said Jennifer Demars, of Anoka-Washington Head Start. “Sometimes they might come in and their zipper might be broke or it’s a little too small or they just might forget their coat that day.”
The coats were paid for by local apparel and uniform company Business Impact Group.
Best of all, the giving doesn’t end there as the departments have more events planned.
“We’ve got another one Thursday,” said Lakosky. “Another one a week after that and another a week after that. So, yeah, doing another few thousand coats this year again.”
“Not only are we happy, but it’s one of those things that we get to give back to the community and that’s what we love doing,” said House.
A Minneapolis Fire official estimates the department has distributed more than 20,000 winter coats in the past six years.