Some kids in Moline will have warm coats and a brand new pair of shoes for the first time this winter. Wednesday morning, the Moline Breakfast Optimist Club delivered new pairs of sneakers, coats, hats, and mittens to over 100 students at the Jefferson Early Childhood Center.
Principal Rachel Fowler says over the last 16 years, the school has given 1,600 pairs of shoes to needy students. For many kids, it's the first time they put on new shoes that actually fit.
Fowler says Jefferson has an 80-percent poverty rate, and several students walk to school without proper clothing. So, seven years ago, the Optimist Club began donating coats as part of the program, and have since given away over 200.
The Breakfast Optimist Club set up a table at the Moline Walmart, and it took three days to raise the money to buy the shoes and coats. Walmart also gave a discount.
While Fowler says it's important to do events like this around Christmas, the Jefferson Early Childhood Center works all year long to make sure their students have the supplies they need.
