In three years, American Legion Riders Chapter 55 in Missouri has provided around 7,000 students with hats, gloves and mittens for the cold winter months.
In 2023, Emmette J. Shields American Legion Riders Chapter 55 in Hannibal, Mo. already with a strong presence in its community for it funeral escorts, flag lines and appearances in parade wanted to do something that would make a more tangible impact on its community.
That led to the creation of its Hats and Gloves with Love program that provided hats, gloves and mittens to around 1,600 pre-k through Grade 5 students in the Hannibal Public School District.
A year later, the effort resulted in 2,200 hats and gloves being collected for students in three different school districts. And recently, the 2025 effort resulted in 3,200 young children in five different school districts receiving hats and mittens or gloves.
Honestly, I really thought, I hope we can just maybe get one more (school) district a year and get some more donations, ALR Chapter 55 Director Steve Gumby Gumble said. It was just one of those things where you never knew if it was going to take off. And then all of the sudden, now its, Wow, this is crazy. I love it.
Chapter 55 spends roughly six months fundraising for the program, kicking off the effort with its annual May poker run. Thats when Im thanking people for supporting us and telling them about the kids, Gumble said. Thats followed by getting an exact count of students in each grade and then counting the inventory and boxing it up so the hats and gloves can be delivered the week before Thanksgiving.
Most of the hats are delivered so that Chapter 55 can stay under the radar, Gumble said. But each year the Riders do make an in-person delivery at one school. This year that meant stopping by South Shelby Elementary in Shelbina, Mo.
Its amazing, Gumble said of the experience. The kids are happy because theyre getting something, and its cool because they kind of get to pick the color they want. And the teachers are just happy that, Hey, maybe we can do something more for these kids. Lets keep them coming in, because if theyre missing school theyre not getting educated.
This year, 500 hats knitted by community members were donated to the effort. And Gumble also reached out to the Missouri Department of Corrections and was able to get hats made and donated to the cause through the departments inmate activity program.
Gumble also noted that this year, American Legion Riders Chapter 32 in Springfield, Ill., also donated to the cause.
Gumble said when he solicits donations from local business, he brings up the chain reaction that can result when a child doesnt wear a hat in cold weather and comes down with an illness.
When I talk to business owners and I say, You know this staff youve got out there? Youve got a lot of moms out here. And if we can put hats and gloves on their babies, and they go out of the house, maybe they dont get a head cold. Maybe they dont get an earache. Maybe mom doesnt have to take off a day and go to the doctor and miss a couple of days (of work) because the baby cant go to school, he said. I say, This is somebody thats not going to be on your production floor. Not going to be waiting your tables. The simple thing of a hat can do a lot. Not just keep a kid warm. It has a financial impact on the whole family.
When there are hats, gloves or mittens left over, they are stored for future use. I get some schools that call me in the middle of winter: Hey, Gumby, can you bring me another 50 pairs of mittens? Can you bring me another 25, 30 hats? Gumble said. I say, Yeah, I can do this. Well make it work.
Gumble said the chapter wants to expand its effort to include children in the federal Head Start Program, which promotes school readiness for kids up to age 5 from low-income families. He said the logistics need to be worked out, but he believes it falls under the mission of Hats and Gloves with Love.
These families are struggling. Some are doing fine, some are not. Most are not in Hannibal, Gumble said. If we can keep a child from going to the doctor, mom doesnt have a doctor bill. She doesnt have a prescription shes got to get filled. She doesnt have to worry about all the stuff that goes along with that.
If we can just take care of these kids, it takes the stress off mom and dad. Theres so much that goes into just a simple hat that covers up those ears. Sometimes the littlest things can make a difference.
- Riders