As the winter season approaches, WRAL-TV is mobilizing to help provide coats to Salvation Army families in need.

Since 1989, WRAL has collected more than 103,000 coats and raised $1 million to provide winter clothing for Salvation Army families.

WRAL thanks its community sponsors at Jiffy Lube and Capital Bank for their support of this project.

Donate now!

Donate new or gently used coats at any of the participating Jiffy Lube or Capital Bank locations in Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Durham, Fayetteville, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Goldsboro, Morrisville, Oxford, Pittsboro, Raleigh, Sanford, Siler City, Spring Lake, Wilson, Wake Forest and Zebulon.

In addition to clean coats, WRAL is asking the public to donate other winter clothing items, including gently used gloves and hats and new underwear, T-shirts and socks to completely outfit a child for the winter months. Any size coat will be accepted; however, larger sizes for teens and adults and infant sizes are in particular demand.

On Friday, Dec.12, WRAL will hold day-long "Coats For The Children Telethon."

Call in anytime between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. (877-543-2628) to pledge a donation on your credit card.

We'll be live on the air from 1-1:30 p.m. and again from 7-7:30 p.m., taking calls and sharing holiday cheer.

Donors will be eligible for thank-you prizes throughout the day, based  on the time and the amount of the pledge.

Any donation, in any amount, between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. earns a Jiffy Lube coupon book with $150 in savings certificates.

The first caller to pledge $375 between 6:30 and 7 a.m. gets four NC Theatre tickets to one of these 2009 plays: Miss Saigon, Sound of Music or Westside Story

Between 8 and 9 a.m., the first two callers with $50 credit card pledges receive Tift Merritt's latest CD, "Another Country" and a Tift T-shirt.

The first caller to pledge $1,500 receives a night in the American Tobacco skybox for a Durham Bulls game. The package includes 30 game tickets and $200 worth of refreshments.

Between 9 and 10 a.m., first caller to pledge $150 gets two tickets to Carolina Ballet’s Nutcracker performance Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Between 10 and 11 a.m., the first caller to pledge $100 receives 2 tickets to Carolina Ballet’s Nutcracker Dec. 28 matinee performance at 12:30 p.m.

Between noon and 12:30 p.m., the first 25 callers to pledge $150 receive four tickets to the NC Symphony/Jim Brickman holiday concert at the new Durham Performing Arts Center.

During the live telethon special from 1-1:30 p.m., the first 20 callers to pledge $100 credit card get Bill Leslie's new CD, "Blue Ridge Reunion.”

The first three callers to pledge $85, will receive a $25 gift certificate to the American Tobacco Campus restaurant of choice. Alternatives are Cafe Zen, Mellow Mushroom, Saladelia Cafe, Symposium Cafe and Tyler's Restaurant & Taproom.

The first 5 callers to make a $150 credit card pledge receive Bill Leslie's new book, "Blue Ridge Reunion."

During the live telethon special from 7 to 7:30 p.m., the first donor to pledge $350 will earn a "behind the scenes" WRAL Tour with Debra Morgan!

This first caller with a $250 credit card pledge receives 2 tickets to Tift Merritt's solo concert May 1, Fletcher Auditorium, plus a backstage pass to meet Tift!

The first two callers with a $400 credit card pledge receive dinner for two at Raleigh’s Taverna Agora with WRAL’s Gerald Owens, Debra Morgan and Valonda Calloway!

Phone lines will stay open for 30 minutes after the 7 p.m. program to take extra calls and pledges.

Call 877-543-2628 on Dec. 12 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. to donate to Coats for the Children.

There are three ways to donate:

1. Drop off used, clean coats

Bring coats to participating Jiffy Lube and Capital Bank locations in Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Durham, Fayetteville, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Goldsboro, Morrisville, Oxford, Pittsboro, Raleigh, Sanford, Siler City, Spring Lake, Wake Forest, Wilson and Zebulon.

2. Make a monetary donation online with PayPal

From now until Dec. 31, click the "Donate" button below to make a secure online donation using your credit card.

3. Send a check
Checks should be made payable to The Salvation Army at:

What a donation will buy:

• $85: Complete winter outfit
• $75: New, warm coat
• $25: Sweatpants and sweatshirt
• $20: One pair of shoes
• $15: Five pairs of socks or tights, or one sweater, or one pair of jeans
• $10: One pair of slippers and one pair of socks or up to six pairs of underwear
• $5: One hat and one pair of mittens or gloves

Volunteer your time

It takes lots of people to help sort coats and other clothing. For more information on volunteering, call WRAL-TV Community Relations Director Loretta Harper-Arnold at 919-821-8652.

If you know a family in need of a coat or other winter clothing, contact the Salvation Army at the following locations:

Chatham County
200 Sanford Road, Suite 2
Pittsboro, N.C. 27312
Phone: 919-542-1593 or 919-663-0443

Cumberland & Moore Counties
Box 514
Fayetteville, N.C. 28302
Phone: 910-483-8119 or 910-307-0359

Durham & Orange Counties
909 Liberty St.
Box 1330
Durham, N.C. 27702
Phone: 919-688-7306

Edgecombe & Nash Counties
420 Paul Street
P.O. Box 1977
Rocky Mount, NC 27802-1977
Phone: 252-446-4496 or 252-446-3939

Granville County
P.O. Box 805
Smithfield, N.C. 27577
Phone: 252-438-7107

Harnett & Johnston Counties
P.O. Box 805
Smithfield, N.C. 27577
Phone: 919-934-9102
Dunn Office: 910-892-2902

Lee County
Phone: 919-718-1717

Sampson & Wayne Counties
610 N. William St.
Box 264
Goldsboro, N.C. 27533-0264
Phone: 919-735-4811

Wake County
215 S. Person St.
Box 27584
Raleigh, N.C. 27611
Phone: 919-834-6733

Wilson County
Box 96
Wilson, N.C. 27894
Phone: 252-243-2696