Richland firefighter Travis Leonard hosted Operation Warm Tuesday afternoon, a national program that provides coats to children in need.
He bought 222 coats for kids at Jason Lee and Jefferson elementary schools with money donated by local businesses.
The coats were brand new and made by Goodwill Industries. Firefighters even wrote each child's name on their coat tag.
“It's a lot of work, a lot of time, but it is so worth it to see this,” said Leonard. “Just to see the kids all excited and happy running around with their new coats.”
“I'm excited,” said student Vitalie Beatty. “It's cute; I like the colors. My mom's favorite colors are actually purple and hot pink and they're mine too.
This is the third year Leonard has done Operation Warm, raising more than eight-thousand dollars from the community.