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In mid-October, Arctic Circle, Bank of Utah, and Red Hanger kicked off the 10th edition of one of the most impactful charitable campaigns in the state: "Warm Bodies, Warm Souls."
The annual coat drive/warm clothing collection has become a great source of pride and a favored yearly tradition for each of the three companies. It runs now through Nov. 11 at participating Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle, or Red Hanger locations. Charities are looking for gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and blankets, as well as new underwear.
According to Roger Christensen, Bank of Utah's senior vice president of marketing, "'Warm Bodies, Warm Souls'" has become an outstanding example of three very different Utah companies – a family restaurant chain, a local banker, and a homegrown dry cleaning service – all working together for a good cause.
"Each of us has a different strength but we all three share a commitment to the community," Christensen says. "We're all community-based organizations. That's the No. 1 commitment we want – to help our neighbors in need."
Ryan Fish, Red Hanger's president and owner, agrees.
"Working with Arctic Circle and Bank of Utah is a lot of fun," Fish says. "We're like-minded businesses with stores in the community and we all have the goal of giving back to the people who have supported us for years. It's a great partnership."
All three organizations – Arctic Circle, Bank of Utah, and Red Hanger – have important roles to play in the campaign.
Red Hanger brings its resources as a full-service dry cleaner by collecting donations and storing them until they can be delivered to the various charities in November. The dry cleaner also offers a free shirt cleaning for those who make donations.
Arctic Circle does its part to show appreciation for any in-store donation by giving the donor a coupon for a free double cheeseburger. Arctic Circle's vice president of marketing, Joe Evans estimates that about 2,500 burgers are given out each year as part of the charitable campaign.
And at Bank of Utah locations, clothing donations are also accepted – with plenty of Arctic Circle double cheeseburger and Red Hanger shirt cleaning coupons on hand to give out.
While the burgers and shirt cleanings are flying out, the warm clothing also comes pouring in. Last year alone, the three companies worked together to gather, sort, and distribute more than 650 giant bags of warm clothing to organizations such as Community Action Services, Catholic Community Services, and The Road Home, among others.
We really want this to be one of the largest clothing drives in the state of Utah. We went from 500 bags of clothing two years ago to more than 600 last year. We'd like to continue to grow that number year over year.
–Megan Kenley, Bank of Utah communications specialist
Although the donation totals are impressive, representatives from all three companies insist that generosity begins with each individual donation from their customers.
With the prospect of a free, delicious burger, or perhaps a shirt cleaning on the house, in addition to the satisfaction of doing a good deed, "Warm Bodies, Warm Souls" is something that many community members look forward to each fall.
"We're in our 10th year and a lot of people who have donated before have done it multiple times," says Evans. "We have one customer who brought about 30 hand-knitted hats to donate last year."
It wasn't the first time that this customer has done this, Evans says. When she makes her yearly donation, she notes that she works all year on the hats, knowing that they'll end up in the right hands – or on the right head – through "Warm Bodies, Warm Souls."
"It's pretty cool," Evans says of the customer's efforts.
With a decade of "Warm Bodies, Warm Souls" soon to be in the books, the plan is to make things even bigger each year. That was the goal when Bank of Utah first developed the idea for "Warm Bodies, Warm Souls."
"We really want this to be one of the largest clothing drives in the state of Utah," says Megan Kenley, who works as a communications specialist at Bank of Utah. "We went from 500 bags of clothing two years ago to more than 600 last year. We'd like to continue to grow that number year over year."
Of course, that'll mean more double cheeseburgers will have to be given out. Arctic Circle, Evans says, is happy to answer the call.
"It's important to us. We've grown up in this community and we've been around for more than 70 years. A lot of people have helped support Arctic Circle to get us to where we are," Evans says "So we love to give back to the community whenever we can; because they are the reason we're here today."
Warm clothing donations can be donated through Nov. 11 at participating Bank of Utah, Arctic Circle, or Red Hanger locations. The charities served are looking for gently used coats, hats, scarves, gloves, blankets and new underwear.
