1,500 Warm Coats from Chet, a Caring Citizen

By Nick Gallo | Broadcast Reporter and Digital Editor | okcthunder.com

From its first days in Oklahoma City, the Thunder has needed to mirror Oklahoma’s values of laborious work, dedication, and take care of neighborhood. 

That meant figuring out individuals who already maintain those self same values and placing them in positions to point out Oklahomans what they’re fabricated from. That consists of individuals like Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren, who knew Oklahoma City could be a nice match for him earlier than he was even drafted by the Thunder again in June. 

Holmgren has already been extraordinarily energetic within the Oklahoma City neighborhood even whereas present process a substantial, season-long rehab course of from a foot damage. At court docket dedications and Reading Timeouts, in addition to the Thanksgiving dinner he hosted for Oklahoma City youth, Holmgren has been engaged and intentional with each interplay. This week he stepped it up even additional by internet hosting occasions that facilitated his donation of 1,500 coats throughout the three cities he’s referred to as residence, with the assistance of Operation Warm.

The first cease, on Thursday, was in partnership with the Thunder’s 15^th Annual Holiday Assist program at Citizens Caring for Children. Exactly 24 hours later, Holmgren acquired off the Thunder’s flight to his hometown of Minneapolis and straight into a van headed for a Salvation Army service heart in close by Brooklyn Park, Minn. that suffered arson and vandalism 4 weeks in the past. On Tuesday, in Spokane, Wash., the place Holmgren attended faculty at Gonzaga University, there might be one other giveaway with coats provided by the 20-year-old as properly. 

In Oklahoma City on Thursday, tiny toes shuffled up and down aisles as Holmgren adopted behind attentively. At Citizens Caring for Children, Holmgren helped youngsters within the foster care system pick coats that have been simply the suitable dimension and made positive every child left with a Thunder beanie, wristband and Rumble doll. 

“How’s it going down there?” Holmgren quipped fortunately to some kindergarten-aged tots. 

“You look like you’re going to grow a lot this year, so that’ll give you wiggle room,” he stated to a different little one as they tried on a coat. 

Each season, foster kids can come to Citizens Caring for Children’s useful resource heart off of Wilshire Boulevard and get two model new outfits apiece, together with coats, to make sure they don’t seem to be solely feeling assured and presentable every day, however are good and heat within the winter months too. Holmgren’s donation of 500 coats coated Citizens Caring for Children’s want for this season and gave the group a head begin on subsequent yr’s provide as properly. 

“With foster families, they’re already giving so much extra support,” stated Denice Hurlbut, Director of Operations at Citizens Caring for Children. “We want to be able to step in and help support them also. All of these coats are going out to kids who are in the foster system to make sure that they’re able to have that good extra sense of stability and comfort.”

“It takes a group of people to do this for these children that are unfortunately taken out of their homes,” stated Kenneth Gregory, a foster father of 4 younger kids who all acquired coats on Thursday. “It’s just something to give them some normal normalcy and helps them feel loved and part of the community.” 

Chris Serafino, a foster mom who solely takes in teenage boys due to the nice want in that demographic, leans on Citizens Caring for Children in Oklahoma City to assist dress her three foster sons. Tyler and Charlie, who’re 17, and James, who is eighteen and might be growing old out of foster care when he graduates highschool, have been all thrilled to see the 20-year-old Holmgren displaying management and generosity at such a younger age. 

“My sons were so excited to hear that they were going to come meet a Thunder basketball player,” stated Serafino. “There’s not very many homes for male teenagers. I get called every couple days for a male teenager. We just need to do better as a community to help these kids.” 

“Seeing somebody of his age investing his time and his effort to do this is very heartwarming,” added Gregory. “We’ll be able to show them – look what people wanted to do for you, even though they didn’t know you and didn’t know your story.” 

Holmgren’s inside drive to provide again on this approach stems from his childhood in Minnesota, the place winter temperatures dip into dangerously frigid territory. Not having a good coat in that climate is just not an choice. It could be one factor to simply write a examine and ship out a press launch. It’s one other to point out up the best way Holmgren did in two cities within the span of a day and be a hands-on position mannequin to the following era of residents.

“It’s more important to really devote your time to it and really connect with the people that you’re looking to help,” stated Holmgren. “It’s something that needs to be done. There’s always going to be people in need and always going to be someone in a position to help, so I think it’s their duty to help.”

Last month, the Salvation Army’s Noble Service Center in Brooklyn Park, Minn. had an intruder who broke in and brought on a hearth, ruining 170 coats that have been set to be given out to households in want this winter. Upon listening to the news, Holmgren instantly jumped into motion to re-stock the middle’s stash of coats, and on Friday evening was capable of see keen households courageous wind-whipped snow and icy roads to get some much-needed winter gear. 

Holmgren helped a younger lady, a toddler named Iris, attempt on a vibrant blue coat with furry inside lining. It was a good match, and she or he acquired some gloves and a hat to match. Loaded up together with her new armor, Iris bounded her method to the boarded-up entrance door of the Salvation Army and out into the 20-degree climate, protected and heat. 

“These little two-and-a-half-foot tall kids, to see them looking up at him, their eyes are as big as saucers,” stated Major Scott Shelbourn, Twin Cities Commander for the Salvation Army. 

Families all through the 10-county space surrounding the Twin Cities rely on meals, clothes, assets and a sense of neighborhood from the Salvation Army. The Brooklyn Park location nonetheless has plywood over damaged home windows and carpet that must be changed. The provide line points and inflation impacting households and the Salvation Army itself can’t be erased in someday, however Holmgren’s donation and presence made a large impression on the standard of lifetime of the individuals in his hometown because the temperatures proceed to fall within the months to come back. 

“Examples like Chet and the way he’s giving back, that’s the kind of thing I’ve always wanted my kids to look up to,” stated Shelbourn. “When people have this opportunity and they’re given the world and this great opportunity in their life, but they’re still humble enough to give back to where they came from, that’s a tremendous blessing to me. Those kinds of values were instilled in him, and he’s carrying them on into adulthood.” 

“I’m just trying to do what I would expect from anybody else in my position and try and do the right thing,” Holmgren stated. “Hopefully when people see that, they’ll follow. Hopefully 10 years from now the kids that just grabbed some coats from here are doing something like this.”