Catholic Charities and the Louisville Sports Commission are collaborating to help collect winter items for 850 newly arrived refugees.
Thursday and Friday, Catholic Charities’ Migration and Refugee Services will have a truck at Slugger Field during registration for the Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon. Registered runners and walkers are being asked to donate winter coats and blankets, as well as other winter items such as gloves, hats and scarves, for refugees who have recently been resettled in Louisville.
Warm clothing and blankets should be new or gently used and are needed for all ages and sexes, according to a news release from Catholic Charities and the Louisville Sports Commission.
“Nearly all the clients we assisted this past year came from tropical or desert environments,” said Chris Clements, community resource developer for Catholic Charities. In nearly all cases, this coming winter will be our clients’ first taste of cold weather.”
The Half Marathon, presented by Humana Vitality, starts at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 3. In addition to that 13.1 mile event, the Louisville pure tap 5K, a family friendly race, will begin at 8 a.m. and features a run through downtown that starts on Main Street.
