Sudbury 'holiday challenge' coat drive a 21-year tradition
Coats and blankets collected on Saturday will be distributed in Sudbury's downtown
Not everyone will enjoy the comforts of hearth and home this Christmas, but a man in Sudbury is hoping to help fix that again this year.
Author and long-time community volunteer Ryan Wickham will be with some of his friends on Saturday, collecting blankets and warm winter clothing for those in need.
The event, known as the Sudbury Holiday Challenge, is a 21-year tradition, Wickham said.
"I come from a really good mom," he said.
"She would give anything and everything to everybody and my thinking was if I could be even a fraction as good of a person as she is, that I would be making a real difference."
The coats and blankets collected will be distributed in Sudbury's downtown at the Elgin Street Mission and Out of the Cold dinners.
Wickham told CBC Radio Morning North host Markus Schwabe more about the donation drive.
Donations of winter blankets and clean, new or used warm clothing — new or used — can be dropped off at the Canadian Red Dragon tattoo studio on the Kingsway in Sudbury between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
For each item of clothing, the name will into a draw for a Canadian Red Dragon gift certificate for tattoo work or piercings, or a gift certificate from Vespa Turbo-Takeout kitchen on Regent Street.