COEUR d’ALENE — The lights from bouncing head lamps indicated that Fleet Feet's Jingle Bell Run was on its way.

Over puddles and streams, through the pouring rain, runners stopped by the Coeur d'Alene Press building to drop their hard-earned cash into the collection bucket for Press Christmas for All.

The total: A sweet $100.

"A few years ago we had the idea of adding a charitable component to the run, and Christmas for All is a nice fit because, like our store, the program is local and works directly with the community," Fleet Feet owner Garth Merrill said Thursday. "Dropping off our donations on the run adds another layer of meaning to our celebration, and lets us do good while doing something we love."

In its 15th year, the Jingle Bell Run is a festive event for winter warriors to enjoy a downtown run during the holiday season.

"The point is to share the holiday spirit with each other and spread cheer around town as we run/jog/walk about to appreciate the dazzling downtown holiday lights," Merrill said. "We typically have a short, loosely defined route that puts folks in a good position to see the sights. We have cookies and cocoa waiting when they get back."

Although Merrill didn't know the contributions to date, in 2017 the run brought in more than $218 to help make the holidays bright for local families in need through Christmas for All.

"We don’t put the squeeze on folks too hard to donate because it can be a tough time of year financially for a lot of people," he said. "There are a lot of worthy charities, but we ask them to scour under couch cushions or car seats for change or a little cash, and we hand out $1 bills to the first 50 people out the door for the run to help get things rolling, and hopefully in the end we’ve done a little bit of good and had a good run."

Fleet Feet is a family-owned and operated runner-centric store serving the Inland Northwest since 2004. It’s located at 511 Sherman Ave.