Over 200 coats were distributed by the Knoxville Rotary throughout the city and surrounding areas as part of their holiday coat project.

Rotary president Jason Maasdam says they were able obtain the coats in bulk through money they raised along with contributions from The Almost Free shop and McKay Insurance. Those funds were then matched by Rotary International.

The coats were given to area schools and organizations to get the coats to children who need them.

Maasdam says Knoxville is part of the District 6000 Rotary, which encompasses most of Iowa and some parts of Illinois and Missouri. The district offered over 8000 coats total during the project, second only to the city of Chicago in amount.