Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
For more than four decades, KRGV-TV Channel 5 in Weslaco and the station’s longtime meteorologist, Tim Smith, have led an annual effort to help keep Rio Grande Valley residents warm during the winter months through Tim’s Coats campaign.
The 2025 drive marked the 43rd year of the program. According to KRGV-TV, a total of $42,000 was collected in donations from viewers. Those contributions were used to purchase 2,205 new jackets; all bought in a single day and intended for people in need across the Valley.
“A total of 2,205 new jackets were purchased on Tuesday thanks to those who donated to the 43rd annual Tim’s Coats campaign,” the station reported. KRGV-TV said the donations came from “our generous viewers,” whose support helped ensure that “more than 2,200 people” will have winter coats this season.
Rather than collecting used coats, the campaign focuses on purchasing new jackets. KRGV-TV stated that The Salvation Army and Catholic Charities will distribute the coats, with organizations providing the jackets “free of charge based on criteria set by the organizations.”
Tim’s Coats began in the early 1980s and has continued every year since, becoming one of the longest-running community service campaigns in the Rio Grande Valley. Over the years, the program has relied on viewer donations and partnerships with local charities to reach families, children, and individuals who may not otherwise have access to warm clothing during colder weather.
Texas Border Business and Mega Doctor News publicly congratulated Tim Smith and KRGV-TV Channel 5 on the success of the campaign and on their long-standing commitment to the community. In a joint message, the organizations said they “congratulate Tim Smith and KRGV-TV 5 for an effort that brings comfort to needy people across the Rio Grande Valley.”
The station emphasized that the campaign’s impact extends beyond the numbers. By working with trusted local charities, KRGV-TV said the goal is to ensure the coats reach those who need them most, reinforcing what has become a yearly tradition of community support and generosity in South Texas.
