Buffalo Grove teen donates coats for kids

For some, holiday cheer is found in having the necessities for the season: full stomachs, a roof over their heads and warm, weather-appropriate clothing.

This year, Ari Melnick of Buffalo Grove is helping provide those necessities to Chicago-area children by donating more than 80 winter jackets to the Snug Hugs for Kids coat drive.

Upon entering a new stage in life - undertaking responsibilities as an adult according to Judaism - Melnick and his family decided the 13-year-old would incorporate a charitable project into his bar mitzvah plan.

The word "Mitzvah" has many interpretations, but the most widely accepted and up held meaning is "good deed."

"I wanted to help people, and I knew that in the wintertime not everyone has the clothing they need to be warm," Ari said. "So I wanted to help make sure kids around Chicago have winter jackets."

Ari enlisted the help of his mother and father, Heather and Marcus, and his 10-year-old brother, Eli, to reach out to people through social media, primarily Facebook, to collect jackets and accessories.

The effort paid big dividends. Ari collected 81 winter coats - ranging from infant to adult sizes - as well as boots, hats, gloves, mittens and scarves.

On Sunday, Dec. 11, the Melnick family attended the Chicago Wolves hockey game at Allstate Arena in Rosemont to deliver Ari's donation. The coats and other winter wear overflowed the collection containers.

"We're very proud of him," Marcus said. "He has a big heart and a love for sports, and that's why he wanted to align himself with a local sports organization for this project."

The annual winter-clothing collection, backed by Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops, has provided thousands of winter coats and accessories each season for children throughout the Chicago area for more than 25 years.

Melnick's 81-coat contribution is the largest single-person donation by a fan since the Wolves and Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops began partnering on the project five years ago.

"What Ari has done is fantastic," Wolves President Mike Gordon said. "He surpassed his goal, and many people in the Chicagoland area will benefit from his generosity and determination. We're happy we could be a part of his project and the donation to Snug Hugs."

For more information, visit Merlins.com/donate.

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