Help ‘Fill-The-Truck’ with winter coats and accessories this weekend.

Do you have gently used winter coats or winter accessories that are taking up space in your closet? Are you looking for a good cause to donate these items? If you’d like to help 3,000 Olmsted County residents stay warm this winter, please help us Fill The Trucks this weekend!

Community Winter OuterWear’s Fill The Truck event will be held on Friday, October 9th from 3-6 p.m. and Saturday, October 10th from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the following locations:

• Hy-Vee Barlow Plaza - 1315 6th Street NW
• Rochester North - 500 37th Street NW
• Hy-Vee South - 500 Crossroads Drive SW

The Community Winter OuterWear Initiative provides winter coats and outerwear items to Olmsted County individuals and families who do not have the financial means to purchase them.

Last year 2,048 coats were collected and distributed through collaborative efforts of community members, businesses, service clubs, faith organizations, and initiative partners, including Cumulus Broadcasting (KROC AM/FM), Dison’s Cleaners, Mayo Clinic, The Salvation Army, and United Way of Olmsted County.

This year the need has grown to over 3,000 individuals who have registered to receive a winter coat and outerwear items.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in this important, community-wide initiative.

All you need to do is bring new or gently used and clean winter outerwear items including: coats, snow pants, snowsuits, hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, boots to the ‘Fill-the-Truck’ locations (Rochester Hy-Vee Stores) on Friday, October 9th from 3-6 p.m., or on Saturday, October 10th between 10 a.m. -1 p.m. Coats of all sizes are needed, especially infant, toddler and youth sizes.

To get a full listing of needed winter outerwear items and further information about the Community Winter OuterWear Initiative go to www.uwolmsted.org/winterouterwear. You can also call 507-535-5519 for further information.