Christmas Fund 2000 Big Gift Pushes Fund Into 6 Digits

The Spokesman-Review Christmas Fund has passed its first big hurdle of the new millennium - breaking the $100,000 mark.

Whew!

Helping reach that mark was a $2,500 gift from the Ludlow Foundation of Liberty Lake. Trustees Patricia Kramer, A. Ludlow Kramer and Mary Higuchi wrote, “Once again we hope this will spread some happiness to some deserving families in our community.”

It will, indeed.

That gift helped bring Thursday’s receipts to $8,315, for a total so far of $107,323.94. And while that’s undeniably a lot of money, we need a whole lot more to reach the $425,000 goal to make sure every low-income family has toys for each of their children to open Christmas morning, and a food voucher to help make their holiday meal a little more festive.

This project of ours - meaning thousands of us - is truly a grand affair. And it takes each of us to pull it off year after year: those who work for the fund and the Christmas Bureau, and those who support it with their hard-earned money. That’s you.

Maintaining the Christmas Bureau at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center (formerly the Spokane County Fairgrounds), will be volunteers from Catholic Charities, Volunteers of America, The Salvation Army and Second Harvest Food Bank (formerly the Spokane Food Bank).

Joining our mini-army this year is KHQ-TV, which is airing feature stories on our donors on its 4:30 p.m. news program. Each day, the station reports the day’s balance and urges people to participate.

All this to ensure that thousands of youngsters and their families can have a happy Christmas Day, just like the rest of us.

Others helping with Thursday’s total were Carl and Carol Stark, 1827 E. 35th, who donated $500 and wrote this note: “We pray that this will brighten someone’s holiday season. Thank you for the opportunity you give to our community to reach out to those in need.” There also were two anonymous $500 gifts.

Ian and Kelly Scott contributed $300 and urged us all to “Keep the faith - it will happen.” Rita and Gilbert Doran, 2910 E. Snowberry Lane, sent in $250.

Gifts of $200 came from Tim and Ann Riordon; Donald and Billie Moore, 4330 S. Crestline; Shirley and Burt Pendleton Jr., 3428 E. 13th; and Les and Marge Jenne, 520 E. Holland. There was an anonymous donation of $130.

Donations of $100 came from Ralph and Dolores Hein, 166 S. Coeur d’Alene; Phyllis and Harry Churchill, 7026 N. Fischer Court; Virginia and William Wallace, 4215 S. Martin; Mike Slavens, 1024 E. Providence; and Dick and Sharon Wood, 1911 E. 39th, “In thanks for our own good fortune and in honor of our children and grandchildren.”

Another $100 contribution came with this note: “Kamryn Cole would like to celebrate her very first Christmas by making a donation to the Christmas Fund in the names of her friends: Jacob Harrington (2 years old), Hannah Hansen, 1, Daniel Norfolk, 1, and Andrew Norfolk, 3. Thank you for organizing such a worthwhile program. Merry Christmas!!”

Members of the Inland Empire Ceramic Association also donated $100, as did Donna Dieckman, Rathdrum, Idaho; Virginia Boyles, 10515 E. 48th, in memory of Donald R. Boyles; and David and Gail Deroshia, 10928 N. Iroquois Drive, “in memory of our mom, Jennie Marchioro, and our brother-in-law, Michael Olson. They both loved to give to others - the true reason of Christmas.”

Others giving $100 were the Jones family of Veradale in memory of Marybelle Clark; Sara and Michael Torre, Veradale, in memory of Dorothy Evans; and Mary and Scott Cooper, 1007 E. Carlisle, “in memory of Grandmother Mildred Wilburn. This will be our first Christmas without her. May we all remember our newly departed loved ones this Christmas by sharing out of our abundance with those who are struggling.”

Carol and Clint Allen, Veradale, gave $100 in memory of Edward and Virginia Brady, “who loved Christmas.” Terry, Mercedes and Cynthia Tate, 4054 S. Pittsburg, also contributed $100 (thank you for your note), as did three anonymous donors, including one who wrote: “To help make the joyous dreams of Christmas come true for Spokane’s children.”

A contribution of $60 was given as a gift for Stuart, who requested it be made in memory of his father, Arthur Johnson, and his father-in-law, Dale Quinn.

Gifts of $50 came from Charlotte Greene, Spokane, in memory of her husband, Frank Greene, a former S-R copy and makeup editor; Robert and Eunice Snyder, 2614 E. Foxwood Drive; Cleo Fasules, 3405 W. Bruce; Dan and Jean Morse, 10310 E. Springfield; and Lane Klees, 1415 W. Cliffwood Court.

Jean Flechel, 1808 S. Maple Blvd., also gave $50, as did Janette Barnes and Rudolph Reuter, 4924 W. Princeton Place, in memory of Helen M. Reuter; Mary-Lou Downhour; Verda Coryell and Bernard Elmendorf, 1424 N. Locust Road; Claire Quiel, 3327 W. Alice; and Kris Spelman, 1504 E. 18th, “in loving memory of my great-aunt, Elsie Altin.”

There were also two anonymous donations of $50, including one with a note that said: “This is our Christmas exchange. We are 84 and 81 years, and health is good - so happy we can still do this.” So are we.

James Bockstruck and Jon Bockstruck contributed $40 in memory of their father, Jack Bockstruck. Mrs. D.I. Martin, 2324 E. Cedarwood Court, contributed $35. Giving $30 were Emma Young, Rockford, Wash., and Kathleen and Michael Suenkel, 12107 S. Player Drive.

Contributing $25 were Burt Anderson, Moscow; Betty McCaughan, 4202 N. Cannon; Thomas and Bessie Pope, 1112 E. 34th; and my friend Joan McKenzie, 3203 W. Cora, who included a nice note.

Chris Nortell, 317 W. Fourth, also gave $25, in memory of her husband, Dennis D. Nortell, who “liked being Santa and enjoyed young persons. Hopefully this amount will help one of those young persons.”

Another gift of $25 came with this note: “In the early 1940s, a group of young women formed the Happy Snip & Stitch Sewing Club. While we no longer sew and our number of members has diminished after nearly 60 years, we still meet and enjoy our rather unique group. This year we send our annual contribution in memory of Betty Dahl and Millie Lennox, both of whom passed away during the year 2000.”

Jacqueline Eide, Odessa, sent in $20, as did Patrik and Doreen Chamberlin, 12207 E. 27th.