PRESS RELEASE:

VETERANS DAY PARADE NOVEMBER 11 WILL BE A RALLY FOR STORM VICTIMS, COLLECTING COATS FOR NEW YORK CARES

Parade Viewers Should Bring Warm Winter Coats to Donate Along the Parade Route

Annual New York Cares Coat Drive Starts Early Due to Unprecedented Storm

New York, NY, November 8 – New York City’s Veterans Day Parade, November 11, will be a rally for the victims of Hurricane Sandy as participants in the parade collect coats for the annual New York Cares Coat Drive from spectators along the line of march, the United War Veterans Council (UWVC) and New York Cares announced today.

The UWVC and New York Cares urged New Yorkers and visitors to the city to attend the parade Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Fifth Avenue from 26^th to 56^th Streets, to honor veterans who serve our country, including members of the National Guard, who have been critical in Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery efforts.

They also urged parade viewers to bring coats for the New York Cares Coat Drive, which will be collected by marchers along the parade route and deposited in trucks in the parade.

New York Cares’ annual Coat Drive will launch today, earlier than ever, in order to expedite aiding those affected by Hurricane Sandy and all New Yorkers in need.  New York Cares hopes to collect a record 200,000 coats this season to meet the unprecedented need for coats.  Given the urgent need, New York Cares hopes to collect 50,000 coats by next week.

From today through Monday, December 31^st, New Yorkers can donate new or gently used coats at hundreds of locations throughout the five boroughs including all NYPD Police Precincts and library branches in the New York Public Library, Queens Library, and Brooklyn Public Library systems.  Starting November 15, drop-off locations will open at New York Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal (December only) and many other sites.  The New York Cares Coat Drive is an annual citywide tradition that has collected more than 1.5 million winter coats for men, women and children in need throughout the city since 1989.

“For 93 years, in good times and bad, in war and peace, we have come together on this solemn day to honor our veterans, and this year will be no exception,” said UWVC President Vincent McGowan.  “We remember in our prayers, and with our deeds, the victims of Hurricane Sandy and we honor the men and women of our military, especially the National Guard, who are always there for us.

As we work to help victims of this latest disaster, we also are reminded of the suffering of our troops in the frozen Ardennes Forest and the Chosin Reservoir, the stifling jungles of the South Pacific and Vietnam, and the deserts and mountains of Iraq and Afghanistan.”

“We are forever indebted to the United War Veterans Council for incorporating our coat drive in to this meaningful salute to our veterans,” said Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares. “This year, in the aftermath of a disaster like Hurricane Sandy, in addition to other needy New Yorkers, we have neighbors who suddenly lost electricity, heat, and their homes. The need to help all New Yorkers stay warm this season is urgent and unprecedented.”

The New York City Veterans Day Parade is the centerpiece event of Veterans Week NYC 2012, being held for the first time this year November 7-14, as a way to celebrate, thank and honor our nation’s veterans and active duty military personnel.  Now organized under one comprehensive banner, Veterans Week NYC also includes seminars, forums, concerts, tours, screenings, symposiums and special benefit galas for the public and the veterans community. Generous support for Veterans Week NYC has been provided by Presenting Sponsor General Electric, and Founding Sponsors Citi, Google, Veterans Advantage and the USO. For a full list of events, visit www.veteransweeknyc.org

New York Cares’ iconic ‘Shivering Statue of Liberty’ Coat Drive PSA will air on the TOSHIBA VISION screen located at the top of One Times Square to raise awareness of the Coat Drive from Tuesday, November 13th to Sunday, December 30th.

Anyone interested in volunteering to aid in Hurricane Sandy disaster relief can register at http://newyorkcares.org/volunteer/disaster/ and sign up for hurricane response projects in need of assistance. New projects are being posted regularly and will only grow in number over the next several months.

About The New York Cares Coat Drive

The New York Cares Coat Drive is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Since 1989, New York Cares has collected and distributed more than 1.5 million coats.

Presenting sponsor HealthPlus Amerigroup serves members in Putnam and Nassau counties and the five boroughs of New York City – the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. It has nine community service centers throughout the New York City area – five in Queens, two in Brooklyn, one in Manhattan and one on Staten Island. These centers provide outreach, health promotion, education, and assistance with enrollment and recertification for our members.

“For a person who has lost everything a coat is not just a garment, it is proof of the care and support of others and often, protection against further physical harm,” said Bob Wychulis, CEO of HealthPlus, an Amerigroup Company. “Amerigroup is proud to partner with New York Cares to meet the urgent need for coats in our community.”

The thousands of donated coats will be counted, sorted and distributed to organizations serving the homeless and other low-income New Yorkers, at a 20,000-square foot temporary warehouse space located at 157 West 31st Street in midtown Manhattan, generously donated by commercial real estate firm Vornado Realty Trust, and at a 40,000-square foot space generously donated by Rudin Management Company, Inc. and The ABNY Foundation.

2012 sponsors are Health Plus Amerigroup (Presenting Sponsor), the New York City Police Department, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), Vornado Realty Trust, Toshiba, WNBC4 New York and Telemundo 47, WBLS 107.5 FM, Time Warner Cable, Rudin Management Company, Inc., The ABNY Foundation, and JWT.

New Yorkers can make financial donations in support of the Coat Drive and New York Cares’ Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. To donate, visit www.newyorkcares.org/donate_now/

 About New York Cares - New York Cares is New York City’s largest volunteer organization. New York Cares runs vital programs for 1,300 nonprofits, public schools, and city agencies to help people in need throughout the five boroughs, and does so at no cost to the recipient organizations. Since 1987, New York Cares has made it easy for all New Yorkers to work together to strengthen the city; last year, we provided critical services to 400,000 at-risk New Yorkers. To learn more, visit newyorkcares.org.

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