MATTAWA — There are all kinds of feel-good stories this time of the year, and the best one so far this year had youths in Kittitas donating to people they don’t know in Mattawa.

The mastermind behind the project was the seventh- and eighth-grade basketball coach at Kittitas, Bill Gordon. He wanted to encourage his youngster to develop an attitude of giving.

One of the reasons was the stories he heard from friends who are teachers in Mattawa. He was told there was need in Mattawa, especially after the wind storm of Nov. 10.

He tied the giving project to a basketball and wrestling jamboree he was planing for his seventh- and eighth-graders. But when other youngsters got wind of it, it grew. High school boys and girls joined in. When he told the youngsters what he wanted them to do, “they were excited,” Gordon said.

The jamboree was held the day before Thanksgiving. All of the youngsters, parents and friends brought donations.

Thanksgiving morning, Bill and is son Cody brought the donations to the Mattawa Food Bank. Mattawa Area Food Bank President Jody Bacon was beside herself.

“They brought us about 500 pounds of food, canned food and packaged foods like cereal,” she said excitedly.