Belinda Jensen says her baby blue Cole Haan coat has garnered a lot of positive attention over the years. Photos: Wendy Zins
The longtime meteorologist is auctioning off her winter wardrobe for a worthy cause.
For the past 33 years, meteorologist Belinda Jensen has reported on Minnesota’s forecast from the KARE 11 Backyard. And, for six months out of the year, her appearances at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. featured one of her many iconic coats. The outfits garnered a following of their own, Jensen says. “I get a lot of people asking me about the coats. I mean, Minnesotans are into their outerwear, let’s just say that,” she says.
When Jensen announced her retirement at the end of February, she also revealed the fate of her well-known wardrobe: a coat auction in benefit of Minnetonka’s Intercongregational Communities Association food shelf [ICA]. “Belinda had this idea and asked us how we could do something like this,” says Matt Dymoke, ICA’s director of development and communications. “We spent the last few months figuring out how we could auction off the coats, get them to the people who adore Belinda and raise money for a great cause.”
Fifteen years ago, this cream Soia & Kyo coat was dropped off in the KARE 11 lobby with no note or explanation. “I ended up just wearing it because it’s absolutely unique,” Belinda Jensen says. She liked the gifted coat so much that she proceeded to acquire two more coats from the same brand.
Jensen’s history with ICA goes back 20 years, starting with a Grow With KARE story at a Minnetonka church garden. “I asked where all the harvest was going, and the folks said all the harvest goes to the [ICA] food shelf,” Jensen says. “I thought that was just awesome, that they were going to make sure that all those folks had all these beautiful, fresh vegetables.”
Jenen’s relationship with ICA continued to grow over the years, and volunteering with her family blossomed into over a decade of serving as the emcee at ICA’s The Great Taste event. “The [ICA] volunteers just blow me away,” Jensen says. “They not only make sure you have bread on the table … if you need help with housing, with jobs, with mental health services, they have resources in all those categories.” And once clients have reached the point where they no longer need these services, they become the donors and volunteers that pay it forward. “There’s this beautiful full circle moment that I’ve seen firsthand,” Jensen says.
Belinda’s Coat Auction is live now through March 30 on the ICA website and includes 37 coats, 20 hats and 12 scarves. Dymoke says he doesn’t know what to expect with the auction. “… but I do know that this community is incredibly supportive and wants to help our neighbors,” he says. ICA will host a Coat Pick Up Celebration on April 3 where attendees will be able to meet Jensen, pick up their coat, bring food donations and see behind the scenes at ICA. “We can’t wait to welcome everyone in!” Dymoke says, which is a sentiment that perfectly encapsulates the ICA ethos.
Uncommon Threads
Of the outerwear available through Belinda’s Coat Auction, Belinda Jensen shares the story behind a particularly unique piece. “Fifteen years ago, [a coat] was literally just dropped off in the lobby,” she says. “There was no letter, no card, no way of returning it, no way of thanking anyone. It was sort of a strange situation.” Jensen ultimately wore the cream, off-center Soia & Kyo coat and even acquired two more from the Canadian brand during an end-of-season sale. (“There’s no clothing budget at KARE 11,” she says.) Jensen lists one of these jackets among her favorites, alongside her baby blue Cole Haan.
Belinda Jensen notes that this burgundy coat from Soia & Kyo is one of her favorites.
ICA
Facebook: ICA Food Shelf
