North Texans Collect Coats for Sandy Victims

More than 500 coats collected

By the handfuls and piles, coats of all sizes poured into a Grapevine store to help victims of Hurricane Sandy. It was all part of Lewis Johnson's World-Class Coat Drive.

For seven-time NBC Olympic commentator, Lewis Johnson,  the man behind the drive his goal was to collect 500 coats. 
 
"It's not just sitting back and watch things happen on the TV, but if you can actually help somebody out then we should take the opportunity to do so," Johnson said.
 
On the first day of collections, Johnson received more than 200 coats.
 
And the generosity of north Texans came through. With the help of athletes like Super Bowl champs Russell Maryland and Rickey Dudley, Olympians and volunteers packed more than 500 coats on Sunday.
 
"I knew that I was going to be doing some coat packing and unpacking today, I didn't realize it was going to be that many coats,” Maryland said.
 
Collection boxes at seven drop off locations across the Metroplex were crucial in reaching the goal of 500 coats.
 
"This is a good couple of months later for to remember what happened there and for us not to forget and to just keep on giving," Pat Brolan, a donor said.
 
For donors like Cindy from Carrollton who first about the drive from NBC DFW, it’s about helping those who nearly lost it all during the super storm.
 
"Everybody has a big heart; it just takes somebody to put it in motion," Ken Beam, a donor said.
 
All the donations will go to the New York Cares 24th Annual Coat Drive and Boys & Girls Clubs in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.
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