10th annual Diana Ross Coat Drive underway in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office is kicking off its annual Diana Ross Care Coat Drive.

It is the 10th year for the drive.

A coat is must have as the weather gets colder and officials with the sheriff’s office say there are a number of people in Lexington who just don’t have that good winter coat. So, starting Friday, you can drop off new or gently used coats to help.

Sheriff Kathy Witt says, now 10 years on from the winter storm that started this event, she’s proud of how the community has continued to rally behind this giving attitude.

“We found there was a big need in the community,” said Sheriff Witt. “There was also a big desire for members in our community who wanted to do something for someone else that they would never meet and never know, but knew that people in our community have a lot of needs.”

In the nine years that this event has gone on, Sheriff Witt says they’ve collected more than 10,000 coats and given those out to people in need throughout the year.

She says those coats can be a lifeline for some and, for others, it’s a reminder that someone cares for them.

“We brought out two racks of coats that we had left over from last year. People just started coming from everywhere and going through the coats like they were brand new because they were new to them,” said Sheriff Witt.

The sheriff thanked Republic Bank, Bluegrass Cleaners, and Chase Cleaners who have been community partners with this drive for the last 10 years, cleaning the coat and offering drop-off locations around the community.

You can drop off your new or gently used coats at any Republic Bank location in Lexington until December 15.

The sheriff says it’s an honor to keep the name of Diana Ross alive with this coat drive. Ross was an advocate who lobbied lawmakers to pass Amanda’s Law to help protect victims of domestic violence. Witt says that Diana exemplifies what this coat drive is: warm, giving, caring and compasionate.

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