A community effort is helping keep local hospitalized children warm during the upcoming cold winter months.  

State Senator Tim Kennedy hosted a blanket-making event Thursday night to kick off the start of the blanket drive for Oishei Children's Hospital.

The drive will run until March 6 and will accept new and homemade blankets.

Last year, the drive exceeded its 8,000 blanket goal, and organizers look to repeat that same feat this year.

"In a bi-partisan fashion, we had Democrats, Republicans, Independents, we had the business community, we had the labor community, we had community activists, we had individuals, we had parents and we had little kids that all joined in - that all worked together - to make this the most successful drive in all of Western New York and in all of the State of New York,” Kennedy said.