Denver firefighters donate 1,000 winter coats to Denver Public School children in need

With temperatures dropping sharply this week, Denver firefighters teamed up with local organizations and Denver Public Schools to help kids stay warm this winter.

Denver Firefighters Local 858 partnered with Teamsters Local 445 to give away about 1,000 new coats through Operation Warm. Operation Warm is a nonprofit organization that makes new coats and shoes for children in need.

Once the coats are in hand, the firefighters give them out. This year, about 600 of the coats went to Marrama Elementary School and 400 went to Munroe Elementary School students. The Coats for Kids giveaway was developed by Denver Firefighter Michael Knect who helped to donate about 600 coats to elementary school students last year.

"I was born and raised in Alaska and being up there, it's a little bit colder than Colorado," Knect said." So, I felt like this is extremely important to make sure all have a jacket."

In 2021, about 27 million American children lived in low-income families and didn't have a coat to bundle up against the cold, CBS News reported at the time.

Knect wanted to ensure every kid in DPS had a way to stay warm: "I don't like seeing a kid without a jacket or not able to stay warm."