First Interstate Bank is participating in a statewide coat drive called Coats from the Capitol, a nationwide effort coordinated by the One Warm Coat organization. First Interstate Bank is partnering with First Lady Nancy Schweitzer and the Governor’s Office of Community Service, to collect clean, gently used winter coats and jackets as part of the One Warm Coat community service project. Coats of all shapes and sizes are welcome. One Warm Coat is dedicated to distributing reusable coats, free of charge, directly to local children and adults. The program is an easy way for you and your family to pass along coats and jackets that you no longer need.

Kelly Bruggeman, Executive Director of the First Interstate Bank Foundation states, “As a concerned corporate citizen with strong community service values, we have embraced this opportunity to bring warm coats to our neighbors in need.” In Billings, the coats will go to organizations such as the Salvation Army, St. Vincent DePaul, Montana Rescue Mission and the Interfaith Hospitality Network.

The coat drive will kick off Tuesday, October 13, 2009 and run through Friday, November 20, 2009. First Lady Nancy Schweitzer, along with One Warm Coat National Coordinator, Sherri Lewis Wood, First Interstate Bank Regional President, Keith Cook and First Interstate Foundation Executive Director, Kelly Bruggeman will be in Billings on October 14th to host a press conference to announce the event.

The press conference will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the First Interstate Bank Operations Center conference room, located at 1800 6th Avenue North.

All First Interstate Banks in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota are participating as drop off locations for the coat drive.

First Interstate BancSystem is a privately-owned, $6.7 billion banking organization, that currently operates 36 Montana First Interstate Bank offices in Belgrade, Billings, Bozeman, Colstrip, Eureka, Evergreen, Gardiner, Great Falls, Hamilton, Hardin, Helena, Kalispell, Lame Deer, Livingston, Missoula, Miles City, Polson, Red Lodge and Whitefish; 20 Wyoming offices in Buffalo, Casper, Cheyenne, Gillette, Jackson, Laramie, Lander, Riverton and Sheridan; and 19 South Dakota offices in Belle Fourche, Custer, Deadwood, Edgemont, Hill City, Hot Springs, Lead, New Underwood, Piedmont Valley, Rapid City, Spearfish, Sturgis and Wall.

One Warm Coat is a national non-profit organization that supports and encourages coat drives. It helps individuals, groups, companies and organizations across the country collect coats and deliver them to local agencies that distribute the coats free to people in need. Since its inception in 1992, more than one million coats have been provided to those in need at no cost through the One Warm Coat program.

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