You did it!

Donors to Press Christmas for All dug deep and shattered the goal for the 2017 holiday fundraising campaign, donating $171,220 — and thereby kicking in a pledge of $10,000 additional cash from Anonymous in Athol, bringing the grand total to $181,220.

The goal was $170,000.

Of course, the number that matters most is 7,288. That’s how many Kootenai County residents in need were assisted this holiday season.

Reaching the goal, let alone passing it, looked only remotely possible one week ago. By 5 p.m. Friday, only $131,466.93 was in hand. Whopper contributions from our partners, Super 1 Foods and Shopko, had not yet been tallied, and that brought the total to $151,686.93. The Press published several more plea-packed stories, and voila! Last-minute donations poured in.

Thanks to tremendous teamwork between all the Press, Hagadone Corp. and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue employees who volunteer countless hours to this amazing program every year, the terrific application teams at Post Falls Parks & Recreation and Coeur d’Alene Public Library, our generous partners at Shopko and Super 1 Foods, and legions of wonderful donors looking out for their neighbors, there’s a bright, shiny star atop the Press Christmas for All tree this holiday season.

A very special thanks goes to Anonymous in Athol, the program’s top benefactor, who continued to amaze with his $20,000 donation.

Bless you, each and every one.

•••

Recent donors:

Anonymous in Athol; Pepper and Midge Smock; residents of Lake Villa Apartments; Northwest Specialty Hospital; Jason and Jessica Letus; Paul and Sherry Munroe; Ken and Kristina; John and Ronda DeLeonard; John and Catherine Romantic; Carol Barton “In memory of Richard Barton”; Christina Borghesi; “In memory of Ray, Ray Michael and Barbara Strong”; Lynn Fleming “In memory of Kevin Chamberlin”; A.L and J.G. Schwintek; Eleanor Smith; Bill and Judy Drake; Carol Root; Cal and Corrine Meierbachtol; Robert and Susan Mortensen; Michael and Beverly Brown; Cathrine and Jon Ghirarduzzi; Patricia Schauer; Carol Taylor; Stanley and Mona Wolf; Patricia and Johan Delport; Rita and Clarke Webb; Nell Matlock; Janet Kinzer; Stephen and Linda Koehler; Marjorie Bald; Ted and Kate Austin; Kevin and Teri Switzer; James and Jerre Coleman; F E and Monika Vancini; Wray and Antoinette Wilson; Henry and Rhonda Covelli; John Boller; Wes and Mary Schmidt; Lookout Pass Ski Patrol; Gary Deaver; Polly Jones; Jo Anne Joyce; Patricia Brenda Kraus; The Moering Family; William and Linda Culp; Terry and Dan Crawford; Jim and Teresa Van Sky; Judith Lyle; Gramma and Opa; J and J Senger; Dave and Joanne Paul; Silver Angels for the Elderly; Carolyn Mattoon; Joseph Ebert; Perry and Terry Finley; Patricia Backer; Sherry Robinson; Bert and Holly Donaldson; Joan Woodard; Barbara Gallup; Wes and Mary Schmidt; Elizabeth Hall-Dremann and Mitchell Dremann; Stephen and Delores Smith; Universal Funding Corporation; Marjo and Chuck Norlin; Domino’s Pizza; James Kehrer; Tom and Tracey Skaar; Dennis and Katherine Wilson; R and G Bacon; Betty Cheeley; Aldena Hildebrand; A. Joseph Meshishnek; Patricia Gebhart “In memory of Neill Gebhart”; Thomas and Kathleen Schaper; Michael and Nola Hawley; Charleda and Maralee Foss “In memory of our mother, Esther Foss”; Mr. and Mrs. Alva Osborn; Bob and Carole Smith.