MURFREESBORO (AP) — Middle Tennessee Senior Associate Athletic Director Whit Turnbow is sponsoring a coat drive that will benefit children in Rutherford, Bedford and Coffee counties.

The Daily News Journal reports (http://on.dnj.com/1NqYYDi) the Blue Raider athletic department will be collecting coats in the Murphy Center at home basketball games at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday.

School systems in all three counties will assist with distributing the coats for youth via teacher referrals in each system. Adult coats will be delivered to area homeless shelters.

Last year, the "True Blue Turnbow Project" collected 1,251 coats, and over 1,000 the year before. Organizers say warm hats, gloves, scarves and fleece items are also welcomed.