The 36th annual Press Christmas for All 2021 fundraising campaign was a brilliant success.

Did it reach its $300,000 goal, about $100,000 higher than its previous highest-ever goal? Nope. But the drive was a dandy, leaving zero room on that beautiful tree for gloom or doom.

How can you not feel joy when longtime donor Gerda Chapman was thwarted in her family’s attempt to pitch in Friday because Press offices were closed for Christmas, but didn’t give up? Undaunted, Gerda and grandchildren Orion and Liam Chapman arrived Monday afternoon bearing $1,000 for Christmas for All.

Also Monday, the fabulous folks at Domino’s Pizza pitched in $2,025 - half of that coming from Domino’s employees, a gift matched by owners Jim and Missy Hightower. Talk about extra toppings!

Scores of other contributions came in, bringing the total for the season to $237,810.83. Which was fantastic, but just a few hundred bucks short of the second highest-ever fundraising total.

At 4:30 p.m. Monday, Press copy editor Elena Johnson chipped in $50, but the drive was still third-best all time. Then a little post-Christmas miracle happened.

At precisely 4:50 p.m., a donor who wished anonymity called in a credit card contribution of $500 - enough to blast past the previous second best.

There was cheering throughout the Hagadone kingdom. Final tally: $238,361

Dating back to 2001 - the year Press Christmas for All switched from basically a toy drive to a call for cash donations to better assist Kootenai County families with all their needs - only last year’s astounding $301,650 exceeded this year’s generosity.

Here’s how fundraising drives have gone the past 21 years:

2001: $140,840

2002: $135,945

2003: $137,317

2004: $164,050

2005: $176,071

2006: $175,287

2007: $165,673

2008: $160,639

2009: $198,523

2010: $230,295

2011: $238,105

2012: $212,725

2013: $177,889

2014: $169,030

2015: $190,152

2016: $174,350

2017: $192,305

2018: $207,279

2019: $190,923

2020: $301,650

2021: $238,361

As you may have read, Press Christmas for All is a combined effort of The Hagadone Corp. and Charity Reimagined. Every penny raised goes to Kootenai County residents who could use a hand up, rather than a handout, in their quest to rise above poverty.

While the fundraising campaign runs from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas, the program now assists locals year-round. Roughly one month of fundraising fuels the program all 12 months.

On behalf of the many volunteers who make Press Christmas for All happen year after year, a heartfelt thank you goes to the hundreds of people who gave what they could - and some, even more.

RECENT DONORS

Elena Johnson; Doug Cresswell; In Memory Of Eileen Cresswell; Josephine & Jerry Prophet; Paul & Sherry Munroe; Howard & Marcia Hughes; Kirk & Jeannine Crum; Jack & Cherie Shinn; Roger & Judith Johnson

Diane & Steven Turner; Leslie Biby; Donna Walker; Craig Meierbachtol; Carl & Janet Edmundson; Keith & Susan Hill; Sandra Ambrose; Randy & Kimberly Haddock

Karey & Robert Mitchell; Eric & Michelle Haakenson; Tracie Mantia; Sherri & Ron Rose; Mandy Kress; In Loving Memory Robert Kress; Robert & Enid Heintz

Larry & Darrylyn Gordon; Mark Whitt; Gary & Judy Denny; MJ & Bill Watt;Cort & Val Wilcox; Barbara & Robert Kalisch; Jeanne Jarrett; Henry & Ora Meyer; Lynn Jackson

Marie Price; Dave Paul; Chris & Malia Nogle; Gerald & Donna Vanderzanden; Ja-Nee' K. Newby; Terry & Robin Gustin; Law Family; Nate & Joshua Webb; Marjo Norlin

Sue & Dave Nussear; D. Yates; Mark Sipe; Lucas Huston; Sherry Robinson; Robert Johnson; Frank & Monica Vancini; Luther & Stella Gutz; Steven & Vawn Fishbaugh; Yvonne Sertich

Myla & Leland McFarland; William & Sharon Carlson; Jim Walden & Nancy Brown; Keith & Barbara Gilbertson; Margaret & Ronald Mazurek; C.M & D.M Brooks; Karen, Terri & Culley Mills, In Memory Of Larry Mills

Gordon & Beverly Hammond; Dennis & Laura Jeffrey; Constance Lutsenhizer; Thomas & Eileen DuHamel; Jack & Carol Gulbransen; James Shank; Ed & Marianne Harwood; Kay Thompson; Peter Rau; Gary Jensen

$500 AND OVER

Norm & Bev Twillmann; Karen Groswith; Gregory Speer; Ronald Deady; In Memory Of My Brother Larry Deady; Joseph Skeehan; Nancy & Jim Parker- Renga; Lisa & Steve Billingsley

Ronald Richardson; Char Garrett; Ruth Pratt; Tom & Tracey Skaar; Andrea Dugan; The Chapman Family; Rita Romano; Kurt Neely & Dolly Dubois; Domino's Pizza employees; Anonymous