While most of the area is waiting on the arrival of winter weather, the Broken Bow Elks Lodge No. 1688 is getting out ahead of the cold air.
The Lodge is preparing to launch their annual Coat Drive for the 10th year, with an official start date of October 20.
Winter wear items can be dropped off for donation at the Custer County Chief, at 305 South 10th Avenue, in Broken Bow.
Those finding themselves in need of winter wear this year will be able to pick out donated items at Community Connection on the North Side of the Broken Bow Square.
While the project started by collecting only coats, it has expanded over the years to essentially any warm winter weather gear a person may need. Aside from winter coats, scarves, hats gloves, socks, shoes and hoodies can also be donated.
Coat Drive Coordinators Paul and Becky Loy discussed the upcoming Coat Drive with KCNI/KBBN. Becky Loy explained that as what people wear in the winter has changed, so have the items available in the drive.
“It started out just to be coats,” she said. “But it’s turned into all sorts of winter wear stuff – scarves, mittens, gloves, boots. And we had one group tell us that teenagers don’t really wear a heavy coat. So hoodies are a better choice for that age group. So, something that I would think of as a winter wear, maybe not what a 15-year-old would look like.”
The Elks met their goal of 350 donated coats last year; the goal for 2025 is 375 coats. The group thanks several local area organizations and businesses for supporting the drive. These include the Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce for assisting in designing this year’s flier, KCNI/KBBN for providing coverage of the drive, the Custer County Chief for providing a drop off point every year and Community Connection for a place for people to come and find the winter clothing they may need.
Thanks also go to the residents of Brookstone View who make many of the hats, gloves and scarves for donation.
Most particularly the Elks thank each person who donates items to the drive. Each donated article of winter clothing helps make the event a success for communities n the Custer County area.
Although the Coat Drive officially starts on October 20, the Loys said that they are already taking donations, and that the Custer County Chief is ready for drop-offs as well.
Broken Bow’s Community Connection provides a separate area to browse the winter wear items and make sure they will meet the need. There is no charge to take the donated coats, hats, gloves, and other items, including coats for small children, which are often purchased new by the Elks for the drive.
Over the past 9 years, a total of 1,743 coats have been donated through the Elks Coat Drive. But according to Paul Loy helping those in need is what makes the effort worth while. As Paul Loy told KCNI/KBBN, “if you put a smile on a kid’s face because they’re warm, you’ve done a lot.”
