What started out as a not-so-serious "competition" between friends soon turned into "the cookie wars" — still friendly but with bragging rights at stake.

This past spring when Scott McKenzie was furloughed from his associate coaching job at a local college in the Huntington, Pennsylvania area, he challenged himself to learn a new skill a week. First up was making cookies. After proudly posting his success on Facebook, friend and middle school teacher Jeremy Uhrich joked he could do better. The competition was soon joined by one of Ulrich's former students, Rachel Kyle, who'd heard about the challenge on social media.

The borough's mayor was chosen to pick the winner, which ended up being Kyle.

After the contest, the pair took the remaining cookies and dropped them off to essential workers in the community, according to a story on goodnewsnetwork.org. The workers were so thankful, the pair decided they had to continue the effort and launched Cookies for Caregivers.

"Cookies for Caregivers was born as a reflection of the COVID-19 experience in 2020," the pair wrote on the initiative's Facebook page. "Many folks continued to go to work and serve their community as others were told to stay home, or were able to work from home. We decided to show our gratitude to those working to serve us by serving them freshly baked cookies as a modest sign of our appreciation and respect."

While the pair hoped others would be inspired to join them, they didn't expect the overwhelming response they got. Within days of setting up the social media page, more than 100 would-be cookie makers had signed up — there are now more than 500 around the country, according to the goodnewsnetwork.org story.

Each week, four bakers make their tasty wares, with Ulrich and McKenzie coordinating the baking and distribution.

The random acts of kindness performed by cookie makers around the country reminds me a lot of the Sandpoint Lions Club and their annual Toys for Tots drive.

Today's donations total $2,244.44, bringing the total amount of donations received so far to $12,443.44 of the $50,000 goal set by the Lions for the annual Christmas campaign.

Generous donations were received from Sally Suppiger, $12; anonymous, $25; Dave's Truck Equipment Repair, $100; Colleen & Kenneth Conradi, $100; Steven & June Temple, $100; John & Shannon Abromeit, $100 (in memory of Betty Abromeit); Fine Art Tile, $30; Karen Kirkwood & John Ross, $500; and from local coin jars: Arby's, $40; Dairy Depot, $24.64; Coleman 76, $116; and Arnie's Conoco, $96.80.

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.