Go green by donating blue jeans: Save the Closet, Pier Park plan denim apparel drive
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Have some old jeans collecting dust in the back of your closet? Time to donate them and allow artists to bring them back to life.
Save the Closet is partnering with Pier Park to host a “Denim Donation Drive” to encourage sustainability by donating clothing and having local artists give them a makeover.
The drive will be held Aug. 13 at the Grand Theatre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Donors can contribute jeans, jackets, shirts, skirts and other denim apparel, with the first 30 donors getting a complimentary movie ticket from the Grand IMAX and a free SkyWheel attraction ticket.
Each donor will receive coupons from retailers for new denim apparel and will be entered to win a custom denim jacket hand painted by a local artist. Attendees also can enjoy a free customization station to decorate their own denim or a display jacket, transforming the garments into wearable art.
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The nonprofit, located at 12202 Hutchison Blvd., started after Hurricane Michael in 2018 to provide clothes to those affected by natural disasters throughout the country. Founder Katy Lingle said this is the first time the organization has partnered with Pier Park and its parent company, Simon Properties.
Lingle said Simon Properties officials were interested in teaming up after watching a similar event the nonprofit hosted with PCB artists to turn clothing into works of art.
Combined with Simon Properties' push toward sustainability, it was the perfect fit.
"It's a way to support our local artists, ... keep things out of a landfill and also raise money for a wonderful outreach," Lingle said. "So we felt like it was a fun way to deal with the issue of revenue generation that all nonprofits have to face, so that's where it came from."
Event organizers will be accepting all kinds of denim, regardless of the type of garment or condition. Lingle said even if the clothing doesn't pass the nonprofit's standards to be given away, they have companies that will buy it and repurpose it into new clothing.
Sustainability is a huge deal for Lingle and her team at Save the Closet.
"I think it's a little thing that we can all do, to reuse, repurpose ... and you know what, it can be fun. You have something no one else has," Lingle said. "There's something to be said for that as well, but it's something we can all feel good about. ... We all believe that sustainability is important."
Attendees can shop artists' other works and clothing at upchic.shop.
Lingle said they hope to do future clothing drives and expand their reach. She added that the partnership with Pier Park is huge for the nonprofit since it shows the hard work is paying off after almost four years.
"It makes you feel like it's all been worthwhile, that people see it, they appreciate it," Lingle said. "We're getting a lot of community support. ... Getting acknowledged by an organization like Pier Park and Simon Properties gives you a certain amount of street cred that we really appreciate and need."
Save the Closets also will be accepting donations for Kentucky flood victims during the event and on its website, Savethecloset.com. Lingle said nonprofit volunteers will be heading to Kentucky at the end of September to donate the clothing.
Local artists participating in drive
After donating your denim, score new pieces or revamp your old ones from these Panhandle artists:
Terry Knight
Jerrod Schonfeld
Scotty Chang
Sherri Springer
Lynn Mitchell
Joan Gross
Maurice Hunter
Chulynda, Salt Hippy
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Save the Closet is perfect fit with Pier Park for denim apparel drive
