For the final time as mayor, Sandi Bloem will kick off Mayors' Day at the Red Kettle, at 10 a.m. today at Fred Meyer in Coeur d'Alene. Bloem will be followed by Post Falls Mayor-Elect Ron Jacobson at 11, and Coeur d'Alene Mayor-Elect Steve Widmyer at 2 p.m.

A team of volunteers will staff Salvation Army Red Kettles the entire day at Fred Meyer, collecting donations for needy youth and families in Kootenai County. When the final bell is rung at 8 p.m., all contributions collected at the Red Kettle will be totaled and matched by Fred Meyer, up to $5,000.

"We are extremely grateful to Fred Meyer for the matching gift," says Kroc Center Executive Director Maj. Ben Markham. "With fewer fundraising days and fewer Kettle sites across Kootenai County, it has been a challenge to meet this year's fundraising goal."

All donations collected will remain in Kootenai County to support Life Skills training programs and classes, Kroc scholarship opportunities, and the Emergency Assistance Program which partners with several local organizations to provide food, gas, prescriptions, and heating assistance. Red Kettle contributions also help provide new winter clothing through the Salvation Army's Clothe a Child program. Thanks to Red Kettle funds, local sponsors, and volunteers, as many as 200 deserving elementary and middle school students will shop for brand-new winter clothing and outerwear this month.