SANDPOINT — Years from now, young Cadi will know that her buddy Ken adored her.

For the past two years, Ken Watson had doted on his young next-door neighbor, spending time together, laughing with each and building a friendship. Ken, in his late 80s, and Cadi, 2, had a special bond and each year he bought the toddler a special Christmas gift, according to a BBC story.

Cadi’s dad, Owen Williams, told the news agency that their next door neighbor was a special man.

A former salvage diver, seaman, carpenter, and baker, Williams relayed that the first time the neighbors met, Ken was bouncing a 20-foot ladder across the face of his house. “He was on top. He was 83 at the time,” Owen Williams said.

Ken had a daredevil streak and in his mid-80s, he took up a series of adventurous challenges, from standing on the roof of a plane to parachuting over the city of Swansea.

While Ken was daring, he had a soft heart, Williams said.

“Our dog loved him. I mean, genuine visceral love,” Williams wrote. “It was mainly due to the chocolate digestive biscuits he gave her on first meeting. She’d scream whenever she saw him.” Williams said Ken always called their dog “my darling” and “sweetheart.”

Then, not long after Ken passed away recently, his daughter stopped by the Williams’ family home with a large, plastic sack. Inside were Christmas presents for Cadi for the next 14 years.

“He always told us he’d live till he was 100-years-old, so these gifts would have taken him up to our little girl’s 16th Christmas,” Williams wrote.

Williams told the news agency that he and his wife really wanted to keep all the gifts wrapped and give one “present from Ken” to Cadi each Christmas — but they weren’t what to do and posted a Twitter poll. Twitter responded and voted Cadi should get one gift a year from Ken.

The story of Ken’s Christmas gifts quickly went viral, and Williams shared more about the kind gentleman who lived next door.

Not only will Cadi be inspired by Ken’s kindness, so are the thousands of people around the world who have read the story since it went viral on social media.

We, too, can be inspired by Ken, and donate to ensure the Cadi’s of this community have a merry Christmas by donating to the Sandpoint Lions’ Toys for Tots campaign.

Today’s generous donations of $3,139 bringing the total to $44,313.89 were received from: Royce Howell, $50; Deborah A. Kain, $100; Frontier Communications employees, $255; Jerry Morris, in memory of Phyllis Morris, $500; anonymous, given in memory of “Baby Aaron on his 44th birthday. God bless all the children, $44; Marylin Eskew, $20; anonymous, $100; Sandpoint/Hope Bunco Babes, all members contributed, $750; Blanche Larue Hiatt, $100; Dalyn Marley, $1,000; Richard and Hali Karr, $100; Doug and Janice Mueller, $50; Allison Mueller, $20; and Dave’s Truck and Equipment Repair, $50;.

The goal for this year’s Toys for Tots campaign is $50,000 — the same as it has been in past years.

The Lions make the most of the money by shopping bargains, and with the assistance of generous local businesses. The Toys for Tots program provides free new toys for children living in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, from Sandpoint to Clark Fork and all points in-between. A Christmas dinner for the family is also provided.

Donations for Toys for Tots can be dropped off at the front desk at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. You can also drop off donations at Columbia Bank’s main branch in Sandpoint, 414 Church St., or at the Ponderay branch, 300 Bonner Mall Way.

Donations may be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, Box 414, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

Donations made by check are preferred. Be sure to include a note with your check indicating it is a Toys for Tots donation. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, please include a note.

If the donation is being made in someone’s name, be sure to also include a note.

Information: Sandpoint Lions Club, 208-263-4118

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.