Christmas Fund 1995 Donors Give Smiles To Thousands Of Kids Generous Readers Surpass Goal, Bring Children A Joyful Holiday

In a few hours it will be Christmas Eve, the magical night before Christmas. At long last, the house will be quiet; stockings will hang by the chimney - in hopes that St. Nick soon will be there.

And, he will. That jolly old elf will fill the stockings of 13,438 children tonight - thanks to all his Inland Northwest helpers who pooled their money for The Spokesman-Review Christmas Fund.

That’s the number of children - 13,438 - who received Christmas cheer through the Christmas Fund and Christmas Bureau.

Without your help, many of those stockings would have hung limp, empty, and thousands of little hearts might well have been broken.

Saturday’s receipts totaled $20,361.64 for a very grand total of $397,716.90 so far - $17,716 over the goal of $380,000. The final figure will be tallied and reported Christmas Day.

So, put your nightcap on and sleep tight tonight - everything’s right with the world.

The Dealers Auto Auction of Spokane, Spokane International Airport Business Park, contributed $2,000 to the Christmas Fund.

Employees at Kimmel Athletic Supply and Kasko Reconditioners Inc., 202 E. Mission, deducted a portion of each paycheck during the year for the Christmas Fund, which was matched by the company. The combined gift was $1,340.

“The Christmas holiday season is and should be a wonderful and joyous time of year for all,” wrote Bill Davis, treasurer. “The employees of Kimmel and Kasco are pleased to share in a project which will make this Christmas a special one for many whose holiday might not have been quite so joyous.”

Gary and Jo Ann Owens, 11010 S. Sharon Road, donated $1,000 “so the little children can enjoy some happiness.” The company and employees of Columbia Lighting, 3808 N. Sullivan Road, contributed a total of $600; giving $500 were Spokane Rotary West in memory of Jim Willis and Bill Conger; Country Homes Supply, 9116 N. Newport Highway; and an anonymous donor.

One anonymous giver donated $300, and another gave $275; two others gave $250; Craig and Vicki Popp and employees of The Physicians Clinic of Spokane, 820 S. McClellan, in lieu of buying gifts for the doctors, gave $215 ($50 from the Popps and $165 from the employees).

Giving $200 were Franklin and Maryann Pabian, 4318 W. Janice; Penny and Bud Gatlin, Colbert; Ray and Phyl Wilson, 11621 N. Galahad Drive; Craig Clifford, 221 N. Wall; Diane and Einar Lorson, Almira; and Howard and Rena Wagner, Grants Pass, Ore., “in the name of our mother, Greta Toll,” who lives in Hawthorne Manor.

Betsy and Chuck Jordan, Deer Park, gave $200 as did the Sutter household who wrote, “It warms our hearts to be able to help this year”; Paul and Lynn Sully, 15815 Little Spokane Drive, “in memory of my loving parents, Don and Shirley Smalley; and three anonymous donors.

Giving $150 were Wanda Coumbs; Jerry and Marilyn Mauer, Liberty Lake, in memory of their parents; Roger and Orene Harder, 702 S. Rimrock Drive; the Foxy Fillies and Colts 4-H Club of Rockford as thanks for community support of 4-H programs. There were two $150 anonymous donations.

Instead of exchanging gifts this year, D. Todd Wylie, O.D., and his staff gave $130 to the Christmas Fund; there was an anonymous $125 gift.

Giving $100 were the Empire Lumber Group in keeping with its tradition of forgoing a Christmas party in order to share with community members; Dr. Stanley Sargent, 1403 S. Grand; and Robert and Judy Lee, 1311 E. Sara Lane, in memory of their grandson, Austin McKenzie.

T.P.K. gave $100 as did Dr. James and Julie Psomas, 20 S. Pines Road; Nancy MacKerrow, 704 W. Sixth; Dr. and Mrs. D.D. Storey, 1724 S. Rockwood Blvd.; Theresa Hansen, 1907 W. Augusta; Bob and Marilyn Haxton, Colfax; Delores and Lawrence Wippert, Nine Mile Falls; Allen and Phillis Olp, Chattaroy; Donald and Stephanie Forshag, 10025 N. Huntington Road; and Dr. and Mrs. J. McAllister, 6415 N. Royal Crescent Lane.

Others giving $100 included the Voss family, 15405 N. Fircrest Circle; Chris, Cindy and Erin Parks, 4704 N. Moore Road; Greg and Nancy Perkins, 10506 E. Holman Road; Bill and Norma Main, 16502 Little Spokane; Harold and Donna Roloff, Cheney; Richard and Donita Day, 10311 N. Woodridge Drive; and Donald Brannon, Federal Way.

Also giving $100 were Mr. and Mrs. Robert Knott, LaCrosse; Mr. and Mrs. George Holder, 4523 S. Skipworth; Harry and Virginia Moylan Levitch, 1323 37th; Bill and Mary Behrens, 2311 W. 16th; and members of the Spokane Chapter of the American Women’s Society of CPAs.

There were 20 anonymous gifts of $100, including one “given in the names of those whose stockings are usually overstuffed - our family”; one in honor of the troops who have gone overseas; and one “from the husband of a ‘non-essential person.”’

Gwen Horvath’s second- and third-grade class at Westview Elementary held a bake sale. One of Horvath’s students read about the young boy who gave some of the money he’d been saving for a gocart to help buy clothing for the needy.

“This selflessness truly impressed my class,” Horvath wrote. Thus the bake sale and the students’ gift of $76.44.

Participants in the Spokane County employees craft and bake sale gave $83.13; David and Ann Martin, 4808 W. Deska Drive, $78. Giving $75 were Vickie Lynn and Michael Moore; Trentco Trent Avenue Machinery and Rental Co., 3629 E. Trent; R.B. Hoop, 2709 W. Queen; and an anonymous donor.

, DataTimes