Knights of Columbus gives away 140 coats

The Colfax Knights of Columbus distributed 68 new winter coats in the past two weeks to youngsters in school districts at LaCrosse, St. John/Endicott, Rosalia, Oakesdale, Tekoa, Steptoe, Colton/Uniontown and Colfax.

The work is part of the Colfax group's first year participating in the Supreme (National) Knights of Columbus “Coats for Kids” program. Colfax, along with their counterparts in Pullman, bought a total of 140 new winter coats through the national organization and distributed them free to kids in need of a winter coat.

Recipients were chosen with help from the school districts.

The Knights will deliver this week to the last school on the list, Guardian Angel School at St. Boniface Parish in Colton.

“We look forward to doing it again next year,” said Dave Appel, committee chairman. “It's a good thing for the communities, especially this year as it's been so cold. The timing on it to get started was perfect.”

Besides the schools, more coats were given to the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and Sharing Tree in Colfax.

Pullman Knights of Columbus distributed 72 coats to the Pullman and Garfield/Palouse school districts and the Pullman area. The Pullman group participated in the program for the second year.

Since the national program began in 2009, Knights in the United States and Canada have given out more than 306,000 coats to children.

Knights of Columbus is a Catholic-based fraternal organization.