It’s going to be one cold winter, and the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors are making sure that Panther Valley kids can stay nice and warm.

On Friday morning at the district’s administration building, GLVR President Cass Chies, along with Panther Valley principals Robert Palazzo and Lisa Mace sorted through a stack of coats, which will go to elementary and intermediate students in need.

“We’re here today to present the Panther Valley schools with probably a little bit under 100 coats that were donated,” Chies said. “Whether it’s through Realtors going out and purchasing coats, or we’ve had quite a few sponsors that have heard the need and went out to do cash contributions, and our staff went out and purchased coats.”

Chies said that the tradition is carried over from the days of the Carbon County Association of Realtors, as part of a community outreach program.

Through the efforts of the Realtors, this year’s haul just about doubled what they were able to collect last year.

“It’s overwhelming, the response we got. We’re very excited about it,” Chies said.

School officials provided Chies and the Realtors with some estimates on coat sizes based on observing students who were ill-prepared for the winter.

Elementary school principal Robert Palazzo was grateful for the donation, which will go a long way to helping students deal with the winter chill.

“We have a lot of students who come to school without coats, and with the weather being as cold as it is right now, we appreciate the support in providing the coats in different sizes,” Palazzo said.

For those interested in contributing to the cause, Chies said that her office door is always open to those who want to help. Without question, there will always be a child in need of a warm coat, and that little contribution can mean the world to a family in need.

“It’s crucial that our kids are prepared for winter, and unfortunately, a lot of our families have fallen on hard times,” Palazzo said.

“This little donation of a coat means a lot to the families.”