Clothing fundraiser shows the heart of a community

The North Woods region of Vilas and north-eastern Oneida counties is one mighty special place to live — a grand community of caring, compassionate people — evidenced by the generosity that helped the News-Review reach its $80,000 fundraising goal for this year’s Warm The Children program.
Thank you! We are merely the administrators of a great program that was suggested by friends in the newspaper industry some 27 years ago, a program that would not be possible without our generous readers, more than three dozen volunteer shoppers, coordinator Nancy Brandner of the News-Review’s production staff, and community volunteer Debbie Buss.
These volunteer shoppers are donating a great deal of time and patience to ensure that parents and their children spend wisely and get the maximum amount of helpful clothing within our budgeted guidelines.
We couldn’t do it without the retail power and cooperation of Glik’s in Eagle River and for the third year, Northland Clothing Co. in Three Lakes. They have stocked the stores with tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise they didn’t always carry.
The News-Review’s Warm The Children program is a nationally acclaimed, award-winning project. This year, the program provided basic winter clothing to at least 467 children from impoverished families. Purchases totaling up to $260 for each recipient were limited to coats, footwear, mittens, scarves, sweaters, snow pants and other winter basics. When you consider the discounts provided by the stores, the value of the clothing exceeds $275.
It’s important that donors know that every penny they gave went toward the purchase of winter clothing for the children. Thousands of dollars in administrative costs, bank fees, postage costs, promotion and other expenses associated with the management of the program are borne by this newspaper. It wouldn’t be nearly as successful without help from the Eagle River Rotary Club Foundation, to which Warm The Children donations can be designated and makes them fully tax-deductible because of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit status of the organization.
The Warm The Children program has truly been embraced by the community as a worthwhile annual project. More than $1.95 million has been raised. For that support, we are forever grateful — thank you!

Behind the editorial ‘we’
Members of the Vilas County News-Review editorial board include Assistant Editors Josephine Hinderman and Audrey Lehman, and Sports Editor Jacob Heid.