WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 9, 2026 — Athene donated new winter coats and snow boots to 2,600 Des Moines students this year through its annual Coats & Boots program.
“New coats and boots help students stay warm through the winter and give our families one less thing to worry about,” said Andrea Safina, Principal at Garton Elementary School. “I love seeing their excitement when they receive their new gear each year. We are grateful to Athene for supporting students in Des Moines through this program for more than 30 years.”
The program gives winter clothing to students in preschool through fifth grade. Each year, Athene works with Des Moines Public Schools to identify the schools where donations will have the biggest impact. The program served Capitol View, Cattell, Garton, Howe, McKinley and Studebaker elementary schools this year. Since the program began, Athene has given coats and boots to nearly 30,000 children.
“Every child should have a warm coat and boots that can handle an Iowa winter,” said Kristi Kaye Burma, Executive Director of the Athene Charitable Foundation and Advisor at Athene. “We are proud to help families meet that need and grateful to the employees who make this program possible.”
More than 350 Athene employees volunteered for this year’s program. In September, volunteers measured students for coats and boots, then returned last week to deliver the winter clothing. Athene purchased extra items to account for students’ growth between visits and donated remaining coats and boots to West Des Moines Human Services to help more children in central Iowa.
Coats & Boots began during the Great Flood of 1993, when Athene predecessor AmerUS provided winter clothing to students at McKinley Elementary School to help families affected by flooding. The effort has since grown into one of Athene’s signature community programs.
For more information about Athene, please visit www.athene.com.
About Athene
Athene is the leading retirement solutions company with $477 billion of total assets as of September 30, 2026, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit www.athene.com.
Media Contact:
Tori Clausen
Community Communications Manager
712-490-9021
tori.clausen@athene.com
