College Place Elementary students receive free winter coats

Kevin Ko
·1 min read

Students at College Place Elementary in Lynnwood received free winter coats on Wednesday.

The coats were provided by FedEx and Operation Warm, a nonprofit that manufactures coats and shoes for children in need.

Tom Stingily, a sales executive at FedEx, said schools are usually chosen based on how many students receive free- or reduced-price lunch. Often, schools with at least 75% of their population on these programs qualify.

Schools usually apply for the program, similar to a grant, according to Stingily.

“(This was) the first time I’ve done this - in 10 years - that no school wrote in to be apart of this,” Stingily said.

As a product of the Edmonds School District (Stingily graduated from Lynnwood High School 40 years ago), he found a need at College Place Elementary in Lynnwood.

“Next year, if nobody applies, we may do a south-end school so we keep it in the Seattle-area,” Stingily said.