Coats for Kids turns 40 with more than 5,700 warm coats
The Salvation Army, Classic Cleaners, and WTHR handed out coats at the State Fairgrounds with no registration required. The program has passed 120,000 coats.
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The Salvation Army, Classic Cleaners, and WTHR handed out more than 5,700 coats at the Indiana State Fairgrounds for the 40th Coats for Kids day. Families did not have to register ahead of time. They could show up and pick a coat. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett proclaimed October 17, 2026, Coats for Kids Day. Over four decades the program has given out more than 120,000 coats.
The Murphy family is now on its fourth generation of volunteers. Brothers who have helped for about 20 years, following their mother, still gather hats, gloves, and scarves each spring. A grandmother in line said her grandson used to come as a child and is now 23, and that the coats make her October.
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