Goal is $185,000 - and 0 tears

Just one week.

One week until the fat guy squeezes down the chimney or through the keyhole or mail slot.

One week until all the anticipation finally pays off.

One week until eager little faces beam with joy.

Please, help us make sure these are the images to come. We simply can’t stand the idea that any child will wake up one week from today with nothing to look forward to, nothing under the tree if there even is a tree.

Poverty and its closest kin have found a permanent home in Kootenai County. You’ve already heard many times that 43 percent of the households in Coeur d’Alene are either beneath or just above the poverty line. That’s not a prescription for celebrating a merry little Christmas.

This year’s Press Christmas for All program now has less than one week to meet its goal of raising $185,000. If you haven’t mailed a check, called in a credit card donation or contributed online, this might motivate you: 7,205. That’s how many Kootenai County residents, the vast majority of them children, Press Christmas for All is determined to assist this holiday season. That’s how many names we’ve received asking for your help.

We can’t emphasize this enough: Every gift is deeply appreciated. Individuals, families, business and civic groups donating $500 or more qualify to have their picture taken and published in The Press. Every single donor — even the child who empties a piggy bank containing $1.16 on the front counter at the newspaper — is recognized by having her or his name published in the paper. That’s a small reward for these acts of generosity, all of which are tax deductible.

Time is running out. If you’re able, please do one of the following:

1. Write a check to Christmas for All and mail it to The Press, 215 N. Second St., Coeur d’Alene, ID. 83814.

2. Weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., call The Press at 208-664-8176 and make a credit card donation by phone.

3. Go to http://bit.ly/2gBrNTH and make a secure online donation.

Seven thousand, two hundred and five of your neighbors need a little help this Christmas. Let’s not disappoint a single one.