Mayors ring true

COEUR d'ALENE - Coeur d'Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem, Mayor-elect Steve Widmyer, and Post Falls Mayor-elect Ron Jacobson were part of an ambitious team of volunteers who raised $19,700 on Saturday at the Coeur d'Alene Fred Meyer as part of the Salvation Army's annual kettle fundraiser.

Including a $5,000 match from Fred Meyer, $24,700 will go toward supporting the Salvation Army for programs such as life skills training, Kroc scholarship opportunities and the Emergency Assistance Program, which partners with several local organizations to provide food, gas, prescriptions and heating assistance.

Major Ben Markham of the Salvation Army said this is the organization's largest fundraiser of the year. All the money will stay in Kootenai County to assist local families.

This year's effort was more than double the $9,000 collected by volunteer bell-ringers last year, said kettle coordinator Scott Hamilton.

"It was a banner day at the kettle," he said. "Just amazing."