Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE -- And the coats kept on coming.

An hour into this year's "Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange," motorists kept stopping by the State House lawn and dropping off bags and boxes full of coats, pants, gloves, hats, boots . . .

Volunteers rushed to place them on hangers and then onto the racks. But just as they were up, they were taken down by scores of people eager to find not just a coat, but the coat.

There were hits and misses, and some salty language in between.

"Papito. ¡Ven acá! Look," Felicia Accioli called out her adult son, Florentino Rosario, as she found a New England Patriots winter jacket. "And baby, look, it's extra large! Is that OK, papi?"

Rosario was all smiles. Even as another man approached them and tried to ruin his moment pointing out a stain on the coat, Rosario and Accioli brushed it off pointing out a little wash would take care of it.

"And look, buddy, (it comes) with tip and everything," Rosario said producing a nickel and two pennies (along with a safety pin) from the coat's left pocket.

Elizabeth Dennigan and daughter Heidi of Books are Wings were also on hand distributing free children's books while Kathy M. Riley Jones of the George Wiley Center gathered signatures as part of a heating assistance drive.

Simultaneous coat giveaways -- which will continue through 2 p.m. -- are being held at the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center, 175 Main St., Pawtucket, St. Paul's Church, at 12 West Marlborough St., Newport, and at St. Francis Church, 114 High St., Wakefield.

 Tags  Blackstone Valley Visitors Center Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange Pawtucket Providence RI South Kingstown St. Francis Church St. Paul's Church State House Wakefield

---