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Legacy of ‘The Defender’: Coats/shoes giveaway benefits third graders

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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Big smiles go well with new winter coats, especially on a blustery December day.</p><p>Students at Heights Elementary School displayed both Thursday when city firefighters, paramedics and police surprised them with the holiday gifts.</p><p>&#8220;This is light blue and black,&#8221; Jaycob Amigon said, pointing to the colors of his coat zipped to his chin.</p><p>The 8-year-old second grader joined with other students from kindergarten through sixth grade in the lobby spell out T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U in large letters printed on sheets of paper.</p><p>&#8220;They&#8217;re very respectful,&#8221; noted Principal Melissa Myers.</p><p>For the third year, Local 104 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, the Wilkes-Barre Police Benevolent Association and Local 1310 of the Laborers International Union raised funds to purchase the coats through <a href="https://www.operationwarm.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Operation Warm</a>. The nonprofit charity makes the coats and works with firefighters across the country provide them to kids. The charity operates on the mission that a new coat provides physical and emotional warmth to children.</p><p>Fire Department Capt. Dave Roberts said the program has grown locally. &#8220;We started with 130 coats,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re close to 450 this year.&#8221;</p><p>The coats have been distributed to grade-school students in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. Luzerne County Head Start was added this year.</p><p>At Heights Elementary alone 115 coats were distributed. The school&#8217;s teachers and staff provide a count of how many students could use a new coat, Roberts added.</p><p>&#8220;We have kids that walk to school, over 75% of the kids,&#8221; Myers said. Many of them wear only hoodies, and the teachers passed on which students could use a new winter coat, she added.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre firefighter Michael Delaney sizes winter coats for Heights-Murray Elementary School students in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL122019OpWARM-JL_1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre firefighter Michael Delaney sizes winter coats for Heights-Murray Elementary School students in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL122019OpWARM-JL_2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Heights-Murray Elementary School student Harley Dunbar tries on her new winter coat distributed by Wilkes-Barre police officers and firefighters at the school in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL122019OpWARM-JL_2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Heights-Murray Elementary School student Harley Dunbar tries on her new winter coat distributed by Wilkes-Barre police officers and firefighters at the school in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL122019OpWARM-JL_4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Heights-Murray Elementary School students Daniel Pachick, front left, Harley Dunbar, Sabrina McGinnis, Jakob Mora, Mariah Wegrzynowicz, Jaycob Amigon, Amelia Jimmerson, C.J. Long, and Elaina Ajao stand with Wilkes-Barre city police officers and firefighters and principal Melissa Myers and assistant principal Aidan McKenna after receiving new winter coats on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL122019OpWARM-JL_4-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Heights-Murray Elementary School students Daniel Pachick, front left, Harley Dunbar, Sabrina McGinnis, Jakob Mora, Mariah Wegrzynowicz, Jaycob Amigon, Amelia Jimmerson, C.J. Long, and Elaina Ajao stand with Wilkes-Barre city police officers and firefighters and principal Melissa Myers and assistant principal Aidan McKenna after receiving new winter coats on Thursday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL122019OpWARM-JL_3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Heights-Murray Elementary school first grader Daniel Pachick, left, tries on his new winter coat with the assistance of Wilkes-Barre community policing Officer Kirk Merchel at the school in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL122019OpWARM-JL_3-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Heights-Murray Elementary school first grader Daniel Pachick, left, tries on his new winter coat with the assistance of Wilkes-Barre community policing Officer Kirk Merchel at the school in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Students warm up to winter with new coats and smiles