Anonymous grant helps 'Tots' total
SANDPOINT — It’s hard to believe that Christmas is a little under two weeks away.
My mind says I have another couple of weeks beyond that to do my Christmas shopping, dig the tree out of the attic, put some Christmas music on and annoy the cat while bring all of my many decorations downstairs and begin the hours-long process of Christmas-fying the house. (He’d rather I sit there while I serve as a source of warmth during the cold winter days)
The calendar, however, begs to differ with my mental clock. I say I have more time to complete my holiday chores. The calendar snickers (if such a thing were possible) and says Christmas is in coming soon and I’d best get my act together and realize that yes, yes it is mid-December.
I counter that I still have shopping to do. The tree is upsairs, still in its bos. Christmas decorations and garlands are likewise in their boxes, waiting for me to put them up and make the house festive and merry.
The lights around town are cherry and homes are decorated for the season and never fail to make me smile when I drive past. But my brain wants to believe it is still summer, that snow isn’t falling, and that there isn’t still too much to do before the Jolly Old Elf makes his appearance in my house.
It may be that others are feeling the same as donations are running a bit slow in the Sandpoint Lions’ Toys for Tots campaign. If you have donated, you are amazing and wonderful, and your generosity will help children in our community have a merry Christmas. If you haven’t donated, please consider doing so.
Today’s generous donations of $5,670, bringing the total to $16,940.89, were received from: anonymous, $25; Cynus employees plus toys, $20; Cheryl Slayton, in lieu of gifts my sister and I (who grew up in Sandpoint) many years ago are making a donation to a charity of our choice and this is in honor of my sister, Cindy (Coleman) Benson, $100; anonymous, $100; David and Candice Tate, $100; Erin Fogarty, in memory of Craig Carash, $100; Dean and Linda Raynor, $100; Steven J. Shearer, $75;
Arlo and Patricia Clayburn, $50; and anonymous grant, $5,000.
The goal for this year’s Toys for Tots campaign is $50,000 — the same as it has been in past years.
The Lions make the most of the money by shopping bargains, and with the assistance of generous local businesses. The Toys for Tots program provides free new toys for children living in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, from Sandpoint to Clark Fork and all points in-between. A Christmas dinner for the family is also provided.
If you know someone, or need help yourself, the Lions are taking applications for the 2018 Toys for Tots program. Members are at the Lions Den, 607 S. Ella Street in Sandpoint, on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, until Monday, Dec. 17 Applications are also available at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare office, 207 Larkspur St., Ponderay.
Donations for Toys for Tots can be dropped off at the front desk at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also drop off donations at Columbia Bank’s main branch in Sandpoint, 414 Church St., or at the Ponderay branch, 300 Bonner Mall Way.
Donations may be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, Box 414, Sandpoint, ID 83864.
Donations made by check are preferred. Be sure to include a note with your check indicating that it is a Toys for Tots donation. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, please include a note.
If the donation is being made in someone’s name, be sure to also include a note.
Information: Sandpoint Lions Club, 208-263-4118
Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.