Cold for a Cause organizers hope 13 won’t be an unlucky number as they seek another successful clothing drive to kick off 2022.
As in years past, participants in Cold for a Cause will take shifts staying in a crane this weekend, when temperatures are expected to dip as low as 19 degrees Fahrenheit with a chance of snow. The idea is to get passersby thinking about how miserable it is to be without warm clothes at this time of year and give what they can to the less fortunate.
This year, Tim Crabtree of Crabtree General Store and Motor Company Grill will take the first 24-hour shift, while the second will fall to Jacob Reiche of Smart Pharmacy.
“I volunteer a lot and this is a great cause, so I figured I’d help them out,” Reiche said of his participation.
Cold for a Cause began in 2010 with Patrick Jenkins going up in the crane. Jenkins kept the cause alive 10 winters in a row before turning it over to CareNet in 2020. Joe Sanders has donated the crane every year, and as the event hits its 13th iteration, he says it’s an effort he’s glad he can continue to contribute to.
“We’ve been doing it for 13 years now and it’s always a blessing to be part of it and see the results,” Sanders said.
2021 was a big year for CareNet as the pandemic continued and need in the community hit new highs. Not only did they give out about 530,000 pounds of food last year, they also made good use of the 5,020 lbs. of food, 3,500 coats, 1,000 blankets and over $4,000 they received from Cold for a Cause 2021. This year, they hope Macon County citizens will be just as generous with their donations as before.
“We filled the truck up several times over last year and this year we hope to do it again,” Hogsed said.
Cold for a Cause 2022 will be held outside Dalton’s Christian Bookstore at the intersection of Georgia Road and Sylva Road from 12 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 14 to 12 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 16. Coats, blankets, warm clothes, non-perishable food and monetary donations are all welcome.