1/19/2010
“Coats For Vets” Drive Nets $80,000 in Donations For Local Veterans

3,200 coats collected by Libertyville Rotary Sunrise and Zengeler Cleaners

Northbrook, IL, January 19, 2010: The results are in from a local drive to collect winter apparel for veterans, and this year’s results were the best ever! More than 3,200 winter coats and jackets, along with dozens of gloves, scarves and other winter apparel were collected for local veterans. The “Coats for Vets” collection was spearheaded by Libertyville Rotary Sunrise in cooperation with Zengeler Cleaners’ two Libertyville stores.

“The recent downturn in the economy has had a devastating impact on our veterans,” according to Tom Zengeler, President of Zengeler Cleaner. “For a variety of reasons, veterans face an unfair share of the burden when it comes to unemployment – especially when difficult times last for an extended period of time. Libertyville Rotary Sunrise believes they deserve better. The very least we could do was reach out to our veterans and show our appreciation and support for the sacrifices they’ve made on behalf of all Americans.”

Many of us take the basics of life for granted. For out-of-work veterans, food, shelter and clothing are often quite difficult to come by. This is especially true for seasonal items, such as winter coats and jackets . . . which is why Libertyville Rotary Sunrise started this collection drive a few years ago. Fortunately, support has been very strong and is continuing to grow every year. “We were very pleasantly surprised at the support we received,” continued Zengeler. “After all, times are tough for a good many folks, not just vets. These generous clothing donations demonstrate that ordinary people truly care about our veterans.

Zengeler Cleaners’ two Libertyville stores served as drop-off locations for the donations. After the items were collected, Zengeler Cleaners inspected, repaired as needed and cleaned every donated item. They also supported the effort by delivering the clothing. Due to the tremendous support for the collection drive, half of the items were delivered in time for Veterans Day on November 11th; the remainder will be delivered later this month. As a result, even more needy veterans will benefit from the collection effort.

The Libertyville Rotary Sunrise chapter was founded in 1987. Tom Zengeler is an active Rotarian and Charter Member of Libertyville Rotary Sunrise. He is the President of Zengeler Cleaners and the 5th generation of Zengeler family leadership for the Midwest’s oldest and largest cleaner. Rotary International is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and works to build peace and goodwill in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 32,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas worldwide.

For more information about the 2009 Coats for Vets drive, please contact Tom Zengeler, President, at (847) 272-6550, ext. 14, or visit Zengeler Cleaners’ website at www.zengelercleaners.com. Zengeler Cleaners’ seven stores are located in Deerfield, Hubbard Woods, Northfield, Winnetka, two Libertyville stores and the company’s headquarters store in Northbrook – with a new store coming soon in Long Grove. Zengeler Cleaners . . . America's First Family of Dry Cleaning™.