SANDPOINT — Admit it, when you see a penny on the sidewalk, you pick it up, right? It is almost impossible to walk past with the bright, shiny copper circle right there to pick up and pop in your pocket.

I can’t seem to help it. I also can’t stop the childhood rhyme, “see a penny pick it up, the rest of the day you’ll have good luck,” from running through my head as I pick it up either. I’m sure the total amount of the pennies I’ve picked up over the years doesn’t add up to all that much — probably not enough to buy more than cup of coffee if I'm very, very lucky.

But that same penny — and a few hundred or thousand of its buddies — those have true and amazing power. When we combine our pennies (and nickels and dimes and quarters), all of that money goes to a good cause in Toys for Tots.

The result is something pretty magical as those pennies add up to amazing amounts of money — as witnessed last week when Arby's coin jar let the Sandpoint Lions Club know they had $102 waiting for them to pick up — all from their coin jar. So as you can see those pennies add up — as do the nickels and dimes — to quarters and dollars.

Each year, the coin jars housed in business from throughout the community garner anywhere from a dollar or two to $100 or more over the course of the Sandpoint Lions campaign.

So, my challenge is to you — when you get your change, as you’re standing at the cash register and you see the Toys for Tots jar — instead of putting it in your wallet or purse, toss it in the coin jar instead.

Today's donations total $6,326 bringing the total amount of donations received to date to $9,924 of the $50,000 goal set by the Lions for the annual Christmas campaign.

Generous donations were received from:

Paul and Nancy Thompson, $100; Pamela and Richard Forcier, $50; Holli Hodge, $50; Patricia Clayburn, $100 (in memory of Arlo Clayburn); Shirley Mitchell, $30; Geraldine Stockman, $25; Cravens' Taxidermy, $100; David and Mary Sturgis, $100;

Kathe Murphy "Murph,” $20; Earl R. Oatman, $100; Barbara McMains, $100; Steve and Peggy Farrell, $50; Bill and Jerri Stevens, $100; American Legion Post 15, $100; Disabled American Veterans Audie Murphy Post. #15, $100;

Steve and Linda Schaffner, $200; Pat and Eloise Rademacher, $200; Larry Berg, $50; Sharon Rench McCormick, $100 (in memory of past Lion President Don Rench); Jay and Diane Dennis, $100; Bill and Marge Preuss, $500; Cliff Irish Trucking, $400; Larry Smith, $250 (in loving memory of Joyce Smith and Kip Smith); Tom and Tracy Gibson, $250;

Susan Porter, $250 (In memory of John Porter); Brian and Kathryn Powell, $200; Gooby's Storage, $250; Aaron's Storage, $250; Pat Gooby, $250; Charlotte and Donald Butler, $300; Jack and Janice DeBaun, $200; and anonymous donations of, $1,451.

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. If you know someone, or need help yourself, the Lions are taking applications for the 2020 Toys for Tots program.

Applications are being accepted — more than 40 have been received already. The forms are available at the Lions Den, 609 S. Ella St., Sandpoint, on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; online at the Sandpoint Lions Facebook page, facebook.com/SandpointLionsClub; or at Bonner Community Food Bank, 1707 Culvers Drive, Sandpoint. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, Dec. 14.

Masks are required to enter the Lions Den building or those dropping them off may also place them into the red box next to the door.

Toys may be dropped off at the Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint; Farmhouse Restaurant, 477227 U.S. 95, Ponderay; Columbia Bank — Sandpoint branch, 414 Church St.; and Ponderay branch, 300 Kootenai Cutoff Road; Walmart, 476999 U.S. 95, Ponderay; and North 40, 477181 U.S. 95, Ponderay.

There are a host of coin jars around the community where spare change can be donated. In addition, monetary donations may be dropped off at both branches of Columbia Bank and the Bonner County Daily Bee during normal business hours. 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 that 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 clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee. com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.