Celebrities embrace One Warm Coat, bring need for warmth to national prominence

(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) February 16, 2011 - Pop stars, musicians, Hollywood icons, news anchors, socialites, athletes, entertainers and more have helped to raise awareness of One Warm Coat, (OWC) the only organization supporting coat drives around the country and working to ensure that anybody who needs a coat will get one.

 “When you have somebody famous lending their name and face to such an important cause, people are going to listen,” said Sherri Lewis Wood, President of One Warm Coat. “We are grateful to every celebrity who helped us. Their actions helped us distribute nearly 700,000 coats for people in need this winter.”

This past winter, as record breaking snow storms swept across the country, Bristol Palin, Mandy Moore, Sting, Josh Groban, Joan Lunden, the Harlem Globetrotters, Donny and Marie Osmond, Jessica Simpson, Ryan Seacrest and many others donated coats to Good Morning America’s “Warm Coats + Warm Hearts” auction benefiting OWC. More than $6,000 was raised, allowing the organization to purchase 500 new coats for children.

Another celebrity auction launched earlier in the winter by the Glad Products Company included coats from movie and TV actors, singers, style icons and Olympic athletes. Among the star-studded participants: Brooke Shields, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jayma Mays, Justin Timberlake, Florence Henderson, Bob Saget, Rachel Zoe and Tim Gunn, Kyle Richards, Clinton Kelly and Kathy Lee Gifford, Peter Facinelli, Billy Crystal and Matthew Broderick, Gretchen Bleiler and Julia Mancuso, and Jim Whittaker, the first man to summit Mount Everest. Style icon Bobbie Thomas served as spokesperson for the coat drive, appearing on several popular entertainment shows to spread the word.

Auctions were not the only way celebrities worked with One Warm Coat. TV star and celebrity mom Kris Jenner recently partnered with Curél® Skincare and Searle to launch the Barrier Coat in honor of OWC. Customers showed their support by purchasing and wearing the Barrier coat at Searle.com this winter season.

Ellen DeGeneres, Courtney Cox, David Arquette and teen Disney stars Cole and Dylan Sprouse, Debby Ryan, and David Henrie donated signed coats as part of the 1 Warm Kid campaign, a partnership between OWC and kid retailer P.S. from Aeropostale. For every coat donated, P.S. from Aeropostale donated a brand new coat. Nearly 100,000 coats for teens were distributed. Modern Family’s popular young star Rico Rodriguez made this spot with his sister on behalf of the campaign.

“That celebrities were able to work with us in so many unique ways is a great testament to many different ways there are of working with our organization,” said Sherri Lewis Wood. “Celebrities were able to individualize their message to help raise awareness of the need for coats, and we are grateful for their support.”

About One Warm Coat

One Warm Coat® is a non-profit organization that provides tools and resources to help volunteers in the collection of clean, reusable coats for donation to individuals. Our dream is that One Warm Coat® becomes a part of the American lifestyle. When a coat is no longer needed, people will think of One Warm Coat®. They will make their donation knowing that children, women and men in need will receive a gift of a warm coat. Please visit onewarmcoat.org for more information.

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