VIDEO/PHOTOS: Clothes are an important essential that all people need. That’s why Arbor Vitae and Minocqua firefighters are gathering winter clothes for their coat drive. The drive helps supply winter clothes to surrounding schools and the Lakeland food pantry.
Operation Santa has been donating clothes for 19 years in the Lakeland area. Last year, director Pamela Carroll teamed up with Mike Sipin, the captain of Arbor Vitae fire and rescue, to expand their efforts.
“This is our second annual drive we did expand this year, the wings program joined us this year and the kids have just been wonderful,” said Carroll.
Carroll said they had an amazing year with around 1,500 articles of winter clothes donated. A few of the schools where clothes were dropped off are M.H.L.T., Lakeland Union High School and Arbor Vitae Woodruff.