Coats for the Children campaign

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

From now until Dec. 31, you can make an online donation with your credit card.

WRAL and its community sponsors, Jiffy Lube and Capital Bank, also invite the public to donate new or gently used coats at any of their participating 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 broadcast a day-long "Coats For The Children Telethon" and two half-hour specials – at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.. Phone lines will stay open for 30 minutes after the 7 p.m. program to take extra calls and pledges.

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