BUCHANAN — One room inside of Buchanan Middle School is currently filled to the brim with neon-colored coats, knit hats and cozy scarves. The number of coats is so high that they spill out of the room and onto a set of hanging racks in the hallway.

This weekend, those items will find new homes outside of the school and go to the families that need them the most.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Buchanan Middle School’s PRIDE Student Council will host its annual Bundle Up Buchanan event. During the event, families in need of winter gear such as coats, hats, gloves, scarves and boots can pick up donated items at no charge. Sizes available will range from infant to adult. Those looking to donate to the cause can drop off gently used items at any Buchanan school until Friday.

This year, the event is being hosted at the middle school, 610 W. Fourth St., Buchanan, thanks to a $500 grant from the National Honor Society that allowed the student council to purchase clothing racks.

“[Bundle Up Buchanan] is when people from Buchanan donate coats to people who really need warm coats,” said Taylor Sweeney, a sixth-grade student council member.

“People donate a bunch of different types of winter wear like hats, coats, gloves and snow pants or boots,” added Merrick French, a fellow sixth-grader serving his second year on the student council. “People can just come and grab what they need.”

Bundle Up Buchanan was originally started as a social studies volunteer project by Jim Brohman, who retired from Buchanan Community Schools in 2012. After his retirement, he advocated for the coat drive to continue, and the Buchanan area community’s enthusiasm has allowed his wish to be a reality, said Sondra Staggs and Shannon Jeffries, co-advisors of the student council.

“The community does a nice job with it. Many kids have grown up with it and know about it, so it’s something that many people just do,” Staggs said. “We are carrying on [Brohman’s] passion, and we are happy to.”

Last year, Bundle Up Buchanan gave away roughly 300 coats and other items during its distribution days, and all remaining coats were donated to Redbud Area Ministries. This year, Staggs said the drive had no goal but instead will take any number of items the community is willing to give.

“We are trying to get as many people warm as possible,” she said. “We see how many people this helps.”

In addition to helping those in need in the community, both Staggs and Jeffries said they enjoy the coat drive because it teaches the students of Buchanan community service and civic duty.

“One of the things I most enjoy is that the students are involved at every step along the way,” Staggs said. “I love that it’s the students that are there, and they are the ones that hang up the coats and talk to people as they come in. I think it is good for them to see the impact that their hard work has.”

As for the students themselves, both French and Sweeney said they are excited about the drive because it allows them to help people in their own town.

“I’m a former boy scout, so I like to help my community a lot,” French said with a grin.

“I just want to help people who need coats,” Sweeney added. “I just like to help people.”