More than 1,800 coats were collected for the Crossroads Community Center annual Holiday Dinner and Kids Care Coat Drive.

The event, on Friday, Jan. 9, saw a couple dozen volunteers turn out to sort, hang and organize the clothing.

“Each year this gets bigger and bigger,” said Rick Teegarden, the coat drive organizer. “When I first began this years ago, I never could have imagined that one day it would serve this many people. It’s pretty incredible.”

Kids, teens and adults gathered for a hot meal and a chance to browse through a wide selection of gently-used and new coats. The makeshift store was set up in a large studio with mirrors along one wall, perfect for trying on coats. Volunteers were on hand to help each person find the perfect coat to stay warm throughout the winter.

The teen volunteers also helped to sort through bags of non-perishable food to hand out to each family who attended the event. Because of the large number of available coats, each person was able to pick out a coat of their choice and some went through a second time.

The racks of leftover coats were loaded into a van and will make their way down to an assorted list of organizations throughout Seattle.

Lindsay Larin can be reached at llarin@bellevuereporter.com or 425-453-4602.