Christmas Fund 1997 Christmas Fund Close To Its Goal Christmas Bureau To Close Today

We’ve almost made it.

The weekend’s mail delivered $29,744.93 for The Spokesman-Review Christmas Fund, for a total of $366,899.11 toward the goal of $425,000.

On Monday, 930 people were served at the Christmas Bureau, with $26,400 distributed in food vouchers and 1,164 toys selected by parents for their children to receive as Christmas gifts.

Today - from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - is the last day the Christmas Bureau will be open.

Christmas is a time of sharing, and employees of Spokane-based Farm Credit Services, 601 W. First, contributed $2,000 “to share our good fortune with those in need this holiday season,” wrote Jay Penick, president and chief executive officer.

Another gift of sharing came from the “hard-working” employees of Sallie Mae Servicing Corp., 707 W. Main, with a $1,500 contribution and this note:

“Since opening our door in 1995, we feel we have been graciously welcomed by the Spokane community and have been made very successful by the best employees in the area,” wrote Ronald Phillips Jr., assistant vice president. “We’d like to help express our thanks by making the holiday season a little less stressful for those with special needs.”

There was an anonymous gift of $1,500 from a couple who wants “to help share with some who are less fortunate than we.”

The Spokane office of the Washington State Patrol, as it’s done for the past seven years, sponsored a Christmas auction and raised $1,202 this year for the fund.

“While there are many worthwhile organizations in need of funds at this time of year,” an accompanying note read, “WSP employees involved in the auction feel the Christmas Fund reaches a large segment of the community in need.”

Agrium, U.S. Inc., 601 W. Riverside, donated $1,200 “to help those in need at this time of year,” wrote V.L. Chamberlain, services supervisor.

Cominco American Inc., 601 W. Riverside, also gave $1,200.

David and Nancy Seefeld, partners of Jackson-Hawthorne Group, an executive search firm, 2920 S. Grand, gave $1,000 “to give back just a fraction of all the joy we’ve received” since moving to Spokane in 1993, wrote David Seefeld. “We can only imagine the need (of low-income families), but we know how well the fund does in administering its finances.”

Don and Florence DeFeyter, Spokane, also gave $1,000, as did an anonymous donor, who wrote, “We have been blessed and wish to share a little joy with others.”

Donations from the employees and customers of the Spokane and North Idaho Business Banking Department of U.S. Bank, 428 W. Riverside, totaled $950.

The employees and management of NAPA Auto Parts, Spokane, gave $727.91 “to brighten someone’s Christmas.”

Gifts of $500 came from National Barricade & Sign Co. of Spokane, 6602 E. Main; and “All of us at Carter Electric Inc.,” 7220 N. Market.

Dick and Vickie Davis and family, 5210 S. Cree Drive, gave $500 with this note: “Through God’s blessings and hard work, we have been greatly blessed these last few years. We would now like to share with others some of these rewards. We hope and pray for others to be able to share in this season of great joy.”

Doug and Irene Ecton and family, 3417 E. 45th Court, wrote with their $500 gift, “We hope this gift helps other families to enjoy the wonderful sound of laughter on Christmas morning.” There was also an anonymous gift of $500.

A gift of $485 was received from a law firm that anonymously donates to the Christmas Fund rather than exchange Christmas cards, “a tradition that seems substantially more worthwhile.”

Matthew Phillipson, president of Sweet Swiss Confections, 128 E. Short, gave $300 in honor of his “fine employees, Pam, Tami and Jo.” Gale and Patricia Burnett, 2009 W. Johannsen Road, also gave $300, as did an anonymous donor.

The staff of Northside Internal Medicine Associates, 6120 N. Mayfair, gave $270, “in honor of our terrific bosses: Drs. Tim Gardner, Mary Badger, Todd Green, Ken Carthcart, Peter Weltzman, Susan Coffin and Carijean Queen, and our office manager, Diana Gentry.”

Contributions of $250 came from Darrel and Diane Bailey, 9401 S. Stevens Creek Road; Kit, Christie, Betsy, Katie and Emily Querna, 2515 S. Garfield; Maurice, Leann, Shannon and Tom Dineen, 6909 S. Auer; the office staff of Crown West Realty, 3808 N. Sullivan Road; and an anonymous donor. Another giver requesting anonymity gave $240.

“Instead of giving ‘dust collector’ gifts to our family members, we are enclosing a check (for $200) for them to your fund, knowing it will help a few in return,” wrote the Douglas Farms Partnership in Almira, Wash.

Other $200 gifts came from Einar and Diane Larson, Almira; Roger and Kathleen Chase, 1225 W. 19th; McVicars & Associates, a property management company, 323 E. Second; Drs. David Hanson and Paul Reamer of Opportunity Professional Group; Ken and Linda Wilke, 2115 W. 44th; Sean, Nate and Shelby Raabe, 6316 S. Auer; Helen Hamblen, 2510 E. Amberwood Court; and three anonymous donors.

An anonymous teacher at Lewis and Clark High School delivered $157.42 with this note: “This is a gift from my 125 students, who in turn, are my gift to our community.”

Contributions of $150 came from J.E.J. Harrison & Associates and DBA Harrison & Associates. Spoknae; Miriam and Jack Finnegan, 223 E. Rockwood Blvd.; residents of the Royal Plaza Retirement Center, 302 E. Wedgewood; and Pam and Kris Cummings,.

Members of Unity Church of Spokane gave $132.35; a gift of $130 was received from Progressive, 300 N. Mullan Road. William and Norma Main, 16502 Little Spokane, gave $125; the staff of this newspaper’s reference library gave $105.

Gifts of $100 came from Drs. Dorothy Stewart and Sue Weishaar and the staff of Spokane Valley Dental, 200 N. Mullan Road; William and Nancy Henry, 4307 S. Helena, in memory of their parents, Bo Henry and Marian Heglar; and Tom and Elaine Flack, 10215 N. Ridgecrest Drive, in memory of their parents.

Frank Sell, Liberty Lake, gave $100, as did W&K Investments, Rock Pointe Corporate Center, 1330 N. Washington; James and Jeanine Martin, Spokane; Jim Bauer & Sons Farms, Inc., Uniontown, Wash.; Lorraine Burghard, Moses Lake, Wash., who wrote, “In loving memory of my beloved daughter, Vicki Burghard, who was killed by a drunken driver on Oct. 24, 1986 - so her memory will live on in the faces of some happy children on Christmas Day.”

Other $100 gifts came from Jim and Sue Morris, 2922 E. Snowberry Lane; Alan and Billie Hendrickson, Spokane; Safeguard Business Forms & Systems, Spokane; Connie Hamaker, Spokane, in memory of her husband, Ron, with this note: “Ron was a very sharing and caring man. He loved to help those in need, especially children.”

Bob and Judy Simpson, Coeur d’Alene, gave $100 “feeling you will use this money well.” Greg Smith, 1105 W. Eighth, gave $100, as did Kenneth and Mrs. Rydbom, Spokane; Ivan and Hazel Urnovitz, 5621 E. Woodland Drive; Thor and Martha Kilsgaard, 4601 S. Napa; Dorthea Henson-Nelson, Spokane, “in memory of my dear late husband, Stanley Henson, on behalf of our three children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.”

Other gifts of $100 came from Fire Specialties Co., 3933 E. Boone; John and Levita Gauntt, Moses Lake; IOOF Centennial 341, Moses Lake; Emmett and Betty Egbert, 3328 E. 36th; Cindi and Dave Cote, 1203 E. Rockwood Pines Road; Linda and Stephen Martin, 15 E. 26th; Edward and Marjorie Peterson, 4301 S. Helena.

Deanne and Steve Carr, 10023 N. Larchwood, gave $100, as did Maureen and Robert O’Brien, 1511 S. Riegel Court, in memory of Maureen’s father, Jack McCann; Mr. and Mrs. Gene Rayman, 7609 N. Old Fort Court; and six anonymous donors, one in memory of their parents, Fred and Mary Bell Backlund.

Jill and Tom Kuhn, 12315 N. Perry, also gave $100, with this poem:

Have you seen

a child’s eyes

full of love and laughter

May this gift give

a joy that lasts

in a heart forever after!

, DataTimes