Coats for Kids gets online shot at winning new vehicle

 Kalispell-based Coats for Kids has been selected as one of 500 nonprofit finalists in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program.

The automaker is giving 100 cars to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 days. Coats for Kids was selected as a finalist from more than 4,000 applications nationwide.

Each day beginning May 14, 100 Cars for Good will profile five finalists at www.100carsforgood.com. Members of the public will be able to vote for the nonprofit they think can do the most good with a new vehicle. The nonprofit with the most votes at the end of each day will win one of six Toyota models.  

Runners-up will receive $1,000 cash grants from Toyota.

Coats for Kids will be up for consideration on Wednesday, June 6.

Flathead Valley residents are encouraged to support Coats for Kids and its quest for a new Toyota. If Coats for Kids receives the most votes and is awarded the vehicle, it will be used to deliver winter outerwear to those who have no transportation or have trouble getting in to town to pick it up.

Coats for Kids was started by the Kalispell Jaycees 25 years ago to help underprivileged children receive warm winter clothing.

The first year the group helped 17 families. Since then, Coats for Kids has helped more than 2,850 families throughout the Flathead Valley receive new warm winter outerwear. Many of these children have never had new coats.

A Coat for Kids Inc., now its own entity, has continued to help Flathead Valley children stay warm. The group successfully expanded its program to Lake County and will spread to Cascade County this year.

For more information on Coats for Kids, follow the organization on Facebook.