SANDPOINT — It was a desire to help friends and neighbors — the very people fighting the Sunset and Lightning Creek fires in southern Bonner County — that prompted a local Rotary Club drive for comfort and prepackaged items often in short supply for local fire departments.

"I think the best thing for me is that it reminded me that we're still a small community," said David Keyes, district governor elect of District 5080 for Rotary International. "When we come together, when people need help, we think beyond ourselves."

When Rotary members put out the word that comfort and prepackaged items would be welcome donations for local firefighters working on the fires, Keyes said club officials were cautiously optimistic.

A similar drive during the Beehive Fire several years ago saw a large number of donations. That effort — and the community's desire to show appreciation and support for local firefighters — inspired Rotary officials to reach out last week for donations.

"We had more of a response this time than we did then," Keyes said. "We were blown away then, and we're even more blown away now."

That response was evident in the donations that poured into Northwest Auto Body’s shops in Sandpoint and Ponderay.

Announcements in local media and word-of-mouth through Rotary Club members led to a steady stream of donations at Northwest Auto Body’s two shops — one in Sandpoint and the other in Ponderay.

"We decided this was our chance to help people, and we took it," said Keyes, who works as Northwest Auto Body's manager and advisor.

By the end of the drive, both locations were filled with boxes of donations, totaling three pickup truckloads. Items — ranging from baby wipes to bottled water, tube socks to prepackaged candy and treats — were delivered to local fire departments.

"You know, it was funny. We had almost the exact same amount of stuff donated at both shops," Keyes said. "We didn’t know if Ponderay would be higher or lower, or if Sandpoint would be higher or lower. But all of our crew was just so pleased to watch people hauling stuff in."

Perhaps most heartwarming were the donations from residents of southern Bonner County who had been evacuated from their homes.

"They wanted to come in to give stuff to help the firefighters," Keyes said. "They wanted to say thank you."

Keyes shared a story from a Northwest Auto Body customer service representative who told him about two men who came into the office and asked if they could donate. In talking with them, she learned they had been evacuated and wanted to show their appreciation. Other staff shared similar stories.

"It's been very touching," he said. "It's just a good reminder of what we can do in the community."

While divisiveness dominates in some areas and the world is in a bit of a "weird spot," events like the donation drive shift the focus back to where it should be — on community and helping one another, Keyes said.

"When a community comes together to help people they don't know — but who are their neighbors — I think it's a great reminder of what Rotary does, what Northwest Auto Body wanted to do, and what our community can do when they put their minds to something."

Keyes credited the community for stepping up to help local firefighters, calling it a proud moment for Sandpoint.

"It's a good moment for Sandpoint," he said. "It's a great moment where we stepped up for the people who are trying their best to help us."

Part of that spirit comes from residents’ willingness to be part of "something bigger," whether they are Rotary members or not.

"It really is all about a sense of community," Keyes said. "Of coming together to help people, to be a part of something bigger than yourself. That's what Rotary is all about. That's what our community is all about — when it comes together to help in that way. It's a good thing in a bad situation."