College Place Elementary students receive free winter coats

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.

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