Miles Wu has always been intrigued by origami and has practiced the artform since his youth.

Now 14, Wu has gotten so good at it that he's begun creating his own folding designs according to a story on the Good News Network website. His designs were recently recognized as the top design in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge in October.

Wu, the GNN story notes, had become intrigued by a form of origami called Muira-ori, which creates pleated, three-dimensional structures. Muira-ori origami had been used in everything from engineering and space exploration (think solar panels and antennas) to innovations in medicine (think medical devices such as stents).

Intrigued, the teen saw the potential for Muira-ori to be used to create easily deployable, strong disaster shelters.

According to the GNN story, Wu tested three types of paper folded in varying lengths, heights and lengths of parallelograms. He eventually created a pattern that could hold an immense amount of weight.

“The final statistic I got about the strongest Miura-ori that I tested was that it could hold over 10,000 times its own weight,” Wu is quoted in the story as saying. “I calculated that to be the equivalent of a New York City taxi cab holding over 4,000 elephants.”

Like Wu, the Sandpoint Lions want to do good in the world, or at least their little corner of it. And, instead of emergency shelters, the Lions want to bring a little Christmas cheer.

To make that happen, the Lions partner with local residents and business to raise $75,000 to buy toys and gift cards for more than 1,000 youth in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

Today's generous donations, totaling $970, come from: Steve and Tamara Verby, $300; Kathe A. Murphy, $20; Steven C. Wolfe and Beth Goodnight, $300; Susan A. Porter, in memory of John Porter, $200; and Marc E. and Laurie A. Owens, $150.

To date, the campaign has raised $13,322.50 toward its $75,000 goal to provide Christmas presents to those in need in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

If you know someone who needs help, make sure they sign up so Christmas is a happy holiday for everyone in the community. The deadline this year is Dec. 12 to sign up and Dec. 13 to pick up toys.

Each year, the Lions team up with local businesses and residents through Toys for Tots to ensure everyone has a merry Christmas.

Funds raised go toward purchasing new toys for area children — or gift cards for older youth — who live in the Lake Pend Oreille School District.

Every Christmas, the Lions help almost 1,000 area children, from Sandpoint to Clark Fork and all points in between.

This year’s goal is $75,000 to ensure all area youth receive a present. Donations may be mailed to the Sandpoint Lions Club, P.O. Box 414, Sandpoint, ID 83864, or dropped into any coin jar around town. Donations should include a note that it is for Toys for Tots and, if you wish to remain anonymous, please mention that in your note.

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.

Each day during the drive, donors’ names will be published along with the amount of their donations. A running total will be included to help the community know where the Toys for Tots campaign stands.

If you can, please consider donating. Every penny, every dollar adds up, and if we all pitch in, we can make this, once again, a successful Toys for Tots campaign. Additional donations help the Lions buy ahead and make the most of the community’s generous support.

In Sandpoint, toys and donations can be dropped off at the Bonner County Daily Bee, Mr. Sub, Columbia Bank, Connie’s Cafe, Serv-A-Burger, Mountain West Bank, Pivo Peaks Alehouse, Sandpoint Family Medicine and Urgent Care, and the Bonner County Fairgrounds.

In Sagle, toys and donations can be dropped off at Buckin’ Beans and Encoder Products (in the front lobby, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

In Ponderay, toys and donations can be dropped off at Alpenglow Salon, Walmart, North 40, Columbia Bank, Arnie’s, Better Together Animal Shelter, Community Resource EnVision Center, Litehouse, Elite Tire, Vinnie Todd’s Barbershop, Hoot Owl, Papa Murphy’s and Mountain West Bank.

Information: Sandpoint Lions Club, 208-263-4118, [email protected] or bit.ly/SandpointLions