Athene Donates Winter Gear to 2,600 Students

Athene's annual Coats & Boots program outfitted preschool through fifth-grade students at six Des Moines elementary schools.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Philanthropy

Small snow boots and a folded red winter coat rest on a wooden bench in front of a brick building with bare trees. — Athene donated new winter coats and snow boots to 2,600 Des Moines Public Schools students this year, distributing them last week at six elementary schools. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Athene donated new winter coats and snow boots to 2,600 Des Moines Public Schools students this year, with clothing distributed last week. Remaining items were donated to West Des Moines Human Services.

Why it matters

The donation addresses winter clothing needs for students at six Des Moines elementary schools as cold weather arrives in Iowa. The Coats & Boots program, which began after the 1993 flood, is Athene's annual effort to keep local children warm during the season.

Athene's Coats & Boots program provided winter clothing to 2,600 students this year, bringing its total to nearly 30,000 children over more than three decades. More than 350 Athene employees volunteered to measure students in September, and the source does not report the program's total cost.

The players

Athene

Athene is a retirement services and annuity company whose Des Moines presence includes its Coats & Boots charitable program for local students.

Des Moines Public Schools

Des Moines Public Schools is the district whose preschool through fifth-grade students at six elementary schools received the donated clothing.

West Des Moines Human Services

West Des Moines Human Services is the local agency that received the remaining coats and boots after the school distribution.

The details

Athene employees measured preschool through fifth-grade students at Capitol View, Cattell, Garton, Howe, McKinley and Studebaker elementary schools in September. Employees then distributed the new coats and snow boots last week, and leftover items were donated to West Des Moines Human Services.

1993: The Coats & Boots program was established during the flood.
September 2026: Athene employees measured students for clothing at six elementary schools.
Week of November 2, 2026: Athene employees distributed coats and boots to students.

Market Landscape

The Coats & Boots program grew out of the 1993 Des Moines flood and has since served nearly 30,000 children over more than three decades. This year's distribution of winter gear to 2,600 students continues that long-running local response rather than a one-time campaign.

Families at the six participating Des Moines elementary schools received coats and boots at no cost for their children this winter. Students who need cold-weather gear can look to local schools and agencies such as West Des Moines Human Services, which received the remaining donated items.

The takeaway

Local donation programs like Coats & Boots show how sustained, employee-driven giving can meet a predictable seasonal need year after year. Readers interested in similar efforts can check whether their own schools or community agencies run winter clothing drives.