A year ago, when Kalispell Mayor Tammi Fisher took office, she said she wanted to be judged as mayor on three points — transparency, accountability and accessibility.

I’ll let the public judge her on accountability and transparency, but as for accessibility, there was no doubt on Thursday night when she hosted the first annual “Christmas With the Mayor” fund-raising dinner.

A sold-out crowd enjoyed several hours with Fisher at the renovated Sykes’ restaurant in downtown Kalispell, where they were entertained by the piano music of Eric Dye, the auctioneering skills of Mickey Lapp, and a prime rib dinner by the crew at Sykes.

But it wasn’t for entertainment that the crowd came. They were there for the “love” — literally for the “charity” or “loving-kindness” that is found only in a community that cares. That’s why so much laughter was heard, and so much comfort was found around the dinner tables. We didn’t all know each other, but we came together for one night to break bread and share common ground.

All in all, it was a community success story at many levels.

It was a coming-out party of sorts for Sykes, which was recently bought by Ray Thompson, who was looking for a way to give back to the town where he had been raised and made his fortune. Thompson recently sold his Semitool manufacturing firm to Applied Materials, but can’t really be said to be retired. In fact, it seems like he’s busier than ever.

The new restaurant is completely remodeled and provides a bright, friendly spot for a meal. It’s been one of the most important places for folks to gather downtown for well over half a century, and with the new decor and menu, that is now guaranteed to continue. In addition, Thompson plans to reopen the old grocery story sometime in the future — except one thing is sure: It won’t be “old” anymore.

Thompson personifies the concept of “giving back to the community,” which is really what Fisher’s “Christmas With the Mayor” event was all about, too.

Mayor Fisher was buoyant and humble as she greeted diners and then introduced the evening’s charity recipients — the Wings Regional Cancer Support travel fund and the Intermountain Providence Home for children.

This year’s recipients both played an important role in the mayor’s life, which she shared briefly with the crowd. When her husband developed cancer and needed treatment in Seattle and Salt Lake City, Fisher was a young law school student who didn’t have money to travel with him to those distant hospitals. Wings helped to make up the difference to keep the family together during this important time.

Family is what Intermountain is all about, too. The Helena-based charity is more than 100 years old and helps troubled children cope with crisis. Mayor Fisher explained that one of her own family members received help from Intermountain, which opened its Providence Home in the Flathead in 2009.

No doubt, many in the audience had also been helped by these and other charitable agencies in our community. One of the things that makes us a community is that we know we can ask for help when we need it, and we know that many fine people are there to do what they can for each other, often without notice or applause.

The kind of event sponsored by the mayor reminds us also that real charity is from one person to another. We don’t need a government agency to force us to be kind or to remember our brother or sister who is in need. As a friend of mine once told me, love and laughter can cure the world’s worst woes.