COEUR d’ALENE — Toys for Tots in Kootenai County usually kicks off the holiday season after Thanksgiving.

Not this year.

New directors, an expanded territory and an expected increase in requests for help brought the program out of the gates Saturday at Figpickels Toy Emporium.

Bells were ringing, Santa was waving, Young Marines were standing strong, people were giving and toys were coming in, which had Bill and Shannon Coder smiling.

“We love it,” Shannon Coder said.

The Coders are in their first year guiding the Pappy Boyington Detachment of the Marine Corps League’s Toys for Tots program that has been expanded to North Idaho.

Coder said they want to help as many people as possible.

“We’re not going to turn anybody away,” she said. “If they tell us they need help, we’re going to help them."

It was working.

Two large boxes outside the story were filled with toys under the watchful eye of the Young Marines.

The campaign traditionally delivers Christmas cheer to more than 1,000 children with toys, books and stocking stuffers.

While it seems early in the season for Santa Claus to visit Coeur d'Alene, as he did Saturday, Coder said they could use his Christmas magic.

They usually start the campaign with a storage area full of toys. This year, it was nearly three-quarters empty.

“We’re really low on toys,” Coder said.

Susan Sommer, owner of Figpickels Toy Emporium at The Plaza Shops with husband Brett, said they were glad to do what they could.

It was their “Day of Giving and Receiving” with customers getting the chance to visit Santa, receive discounts and grab bags while donating to the program.

“They’re helping us out,” Coder said.

Many bought stockings and coloring books that will be part of the gift packages for North Idaho families this Christmas.

As a thank you, donors wrote their names on a Toys for Tots sticker that was posted in the window at Figpickels.

Each stocking and coloring book was $1. The goal was to provide 3,000 stockings and 2,000 coloring books and crayons and fill up the new and colorful Toys for Tots trailer parked in front of the Figpickels.

Sommer said they're big supporters of the Toys for Tots.

“We see them work tirelessly every year," she said. "They run a really tight ship. We know where the money is going."