Well done!

What else can be said about the folks in Bonner County who came through for the needy this year?

Imagine this small area coming up with:

? More than $100,000 for Kinderhaven. This is a group foster home for girls who need a helping hand. The Festival of Trees is the only reason Kinderhaven keeps its doors open and can help so many people.

? How about more than $60,000 for the annual Lions Club Toys for Tots campaign? The Lions do so much for this community, but they really outdo themselves in this campaign. The Lions also are the driving force behind the Fourth of July parade and the Easter Egg hunt.

? How about 650 presents and $900 for the Windermere Tree of Warmth campaign? Merry Brown-Hayes and Jamie Granger and the entire office throw their collective hearts at this project.

? How about the Sandpoint and Ponderay Rotary Clubs combining to raise $4,000 for the food bank? These clubs combined local funds with district Rotary funds to raise this amount. Club members have also volunteered to work at the food bank as part of this donation.

There are many, many more examples of civic and church groups coming together to help our neighbors and friends this season.

If there is another place on earth where residents have given more per capita then we have this year, we would like to know about it.

People tend to take a look at our communities and notice the natural beauty we are blessed to have surrounding us.

Let's take a moment this holiday season to look inward and realize how lucky we are to have so many people who want to come to the aid of those less fortunate.

Well done, indeed!

David Keyes is the publisher of the Daily Bee.