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Several weeks ago, John Bates, Artsci’84, saw a used Queen’s leather jacket for sale online for $20. The jacket — which he eventually bought for $10 — helped spark an idea between him and his sister, former Queen’s University Alumni Association President Sue Bates, Artsci’91.

“We thought there must be students who would love to have a jacket but just don’t have the money,” says Mr. Bates. “Spending $400 (for a new jacket) is a lot.”

Now, the Bateses are launching a new initiative to buy used jackets and donate them to students who could not afford them otherwise.

“Everyone makes the assumption that all kids who go to Queen’s have lots of money,” says Mr. Bates. “I went to Queen’s and I did not have a lot of money. It was all I could do to buy my jacket. In fact, I couldn’t afford a liner. A liner was about another $40 which was like another $400 to me.”

Jackets are big part of the Queen’s culture and go back as far as 1925, according to the Jackets are part of school tradition and include a set of rules, such as first-year students not being allowed to wear theirs until exams are complete. Jacket crests, bars, and flags let others know about a student’s affiliations and accomplishments.

The Bates consider their jackets to be treasured items. Their favourite family photo is of John, Sue, and their dad, Ron Bates, Com’60, (who bought his jacket in 1956) all proudly wearing their jackets at the Homecoming football game in 2015.

Queen’s jackets have not changed much over the years, so it is easy to take an older jacket and replace the numbers and crest to make it suitable for a current student. So far, the Bates have purchased and donated four jackets and have offers out on several others.

After acquiring two nursing jackets, Ms. Bates reached out to the School of Nursing and an administrator was thrilled to pass them along to two students.  

Alumni who are interested in donating a jacket or selling it for less than $50 can email Sue Bates. 

“We just want to get old jackets into the hands of students who would really appreciate it,” says Ms. Bates.