4.5 Tons of Clothing Delivered From Snug Hugs for Kids

ST. CHARLES, Ill., Jan. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Illinois children and families received approximately 4.5 Tons of winter gear as a result of the Snug Hugs for Kids Clothing Drive sponsored by Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops.  The clothing donated by local residents and customers at local Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops was distributed to Children's Home & Aid, Merlin's charity partner.  A leading child and family service agency, Children's Home & Aid each year helps more than 40,000 underprivileged children and their families throughout the state.

In conjunction with the clothing drive, Merlin Shops received donations with Sung Hugs collection boxes. Those funds were combined with donations from Merlin's strategic partners; U.S. AutoForce, Advance Auto Parts, and the Chicago Wolves and amounted to more than $8,000 that was donated to Children's Home & Aid to help support the multiple programs they conduct (learn more at childrenshomeandaid.org).

On December 10^th, multiple trucks from the Chicago Wolves and U.S. AutoForce, as well as Merlin Shop vans and multiple radio partners formed a caravan that started at the Merlin Shop in Hanover Park, IL and traveled to the Children's Home & Aid Mitzi Freidheim Englewood Child and Family Center in Chicago to deliver the clothes. Families served by Children's Home & Aid throughout Chicagoland were invited on December 12^th to participate in a free shopping experience to gather the warm winter items needed for their children.

Two additional programs and multiple collection events contributed to the Snug Hugs for Kids donations:

• The 22^nd annual Crochet & Knit-A-Thon gathered more than one ton of handcrafted items from volunteers who knit and crochet in over nine states and two countries.
• Girl Scout, Boy Scout, and youth groups participated in Kids Helping Kids and gathered donations in pursuit of a collectible patch supplied by Merlin.
• Radio station partner, Alpha Media; 95.9 WERV-FM , 103.9 WFXF-FM, 105.5 WZSR-FM, 96.7 WSSR- FM, 102.3 WXLC-FM, 95.1 WIIL-FM conducted 50+ collection events.
• The Chicago Wolves collected all season long at their practice facility and Allstate Arena resulting in an entire box truck full of donations for the children.                                                                                      

About Children's Home & Aid
Children's Home & Aid is a leading child and family service agency in Illinois. The organization helps children recover their health, their hope, and their faith in the people around them. We link children to a network of opportunity and care, to extended family, teachers, mentors, and the resources of the neighborhood and community. For more than 130 years, the organization has gone wherever children and families need them, and where that work has been proven to be most effective: at home, in the classroom, in the neighborhood, in the course of daily life. The organization has offices located across Illinois and serves more than 40,000 children and families in over 60 counties each year. For more information about Children's Home & Aid, visit childrenshomeandaid.org.

About Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops
Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops offer a neighborhood approach to automotive service and provides both repair and maintenance services as well as tire replacement and tire services.  Merlin's DRIVE FOR 200,000, the industry's most comprehensive and affordable maintenance program, supports vehicle owners thousands of miles beyond the usual manufacturer's maintenance requirements and has positioned Merlin as the leader in vehicle longevity.  Founded in 1975, Merlin is headquartered in St. Charles, Illinois. In February 2014, Driven Brands™, North America's leader in the automotive aftermarket, acquired Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops.  For more information, please visit www.merlins.com.

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SOURCE Merlin 200,000 Mile Shops