LOWELL — It started 12 years ago as a group of firefighters who collected 75 coats at city fire stations and gave them to children in the neighborhood around the Civic Center fire station on Moody Street.

But the coat drive organized by members of the city’s firefighter’s union, Local 853, has grown each year since.

Last week, the group, now a nonprofit organization called Coats from Ann Above, had more than 800 coats on hand as they distributed coats to more than 400 people, some of whom started lining up outside the fire station over an hour before the doors opened.

The organization is named for the late Ann Finn, mother of retired firefighter Larry Finn, who runs the program with Lts. Mike Ryan, Paul Casella and Mike Boldrighini.

“I wanted to try to keep her giving personality alive,” Finn said.

Finn’s aunt, Pat Finn, of Lowell, was also an inspiration for the group because she used to buy Finn and his 12 siblings each a brand-new winter coat every year for Christmas.

Three years ago, the group started a penny drive to raise money to buy new coats for specific kids identified by the School Department as being most in need.

The group raised $9,000 for that effort this year, and Finn said the group will always ensure that 100 percent of proceeds raised go toward buying coats, as organizers do not accept any pay.

Finn said firefighter Mike McGuire came up with the original idea for the coat drive 12 years ago. Today, the group is bringing even more organizers as it seeks new ideas to expand the program even more.

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