Philly-area Auto Dealers give school children a warm start

Automobile dealers donated a coat for every car sold in the region during September, and the collection of warm winter wear was handed out recently to several thousand children at the Convention Center.

Philadelphia School Superintendent William Hite said he appreciates the generosity.

"I've been in four different states, multiple jurisdictions, and nowhere have we experienced the type of generosity that we have experienced with the automobile dealers of Pennsylvania," Hite said. "For them to be providing the number of coats that they provide for our young people is exceptional."

Donald Franks, president of the Automobile Dealers Association, said participating is a no-brainer for the car dealers.

"Everyone can relate to this, we all assume a kid should be warm," he said.

With the 45,000 coats to be given out this year in the five-county region, the total over eight years is more than 250,000.