Penny drive for Spokane Guilds’ School today

Windermere Real Estate in Spokane Valley is enlisting the help of famous children’s characters to raise money for Spokane Guilds’ School.

Today, the parking lot in front of Toys “R” Us at Sullivan and Broadway will become notably more animated as Mother Goose, Alice in Wonderland, White Rabbit, Cat in the Hat, SpongeBob SquarePants and Spider-Man mingle with children.

Windermere is among dozens of businesses helping to raise money for the “Kids for Kids” Penny Drive, which benefits Spokane Guilds’ School – a center where infants and toddlers with developmental and neuromuscular disabilities receive physical, occupational, speech and cognitive therapy.

It’s the ninth year the employees have organized to host events to benefit the school.

“We’ve just always been involved with this. It’s one of those causes that we believe in,” said Sue Bowers, a Windermere employee coordinating the event.

Volunteers from Barker Community Learning Center and three area car clubs also are helping. The clubs will display a range of classic, convertible and muscle cars.

The fund-raiser runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.