Christmas Cheer Fund nears goal

MASON CITY — The Christmas Cheer Fund is nearing its goal.

Board member Ozzie Ohl says as of this week, the amount raised for this year was just over $99,000, just shy of their $100,000 goal, and Ohl says after the fundraising program was put on hold in 2023 and had not made goal for a couple of years prior to that, it’s a great accomplishment.  “Talking with Rosann Boyle, she commented because Rosann picks up all the checks, makes all the deposits, so many comments were ‘so glad you brought the Christmas Cheer Fund back”, and that’s from the donors.”

Those applicants chosen to receive $35, $70 or $100 Target gift cards should be getting those in the mail soon, but Ohl says they’d like to raise more funds in the future to boost those amounts up.   “Next year, we want to increase the amounts that we are giving out. We’d like to move that $35 up, we’d like to increase the $70 one, and we’d like to go beyond $100, but in order to do that, we’d probably have to raise about $125,000 next year.”

  If you want to make a donation to the Christmas Cheer Fund and push things over the goal, you can mail it to: Christmas Cheer Fund, Post Office Box 28, Mason City Iowa, 50402. You can also go to the top of the front page at northiowanow.com and find a link to where you can make a donation online.

== In another Christmas Cheer Fund fundraising note — join News Director Bob Fisher tonight (Wednesday) from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at Elly’s at 12 South Shore Drive in Clear Lake as he’ll be one of the two celebrity bartenders. All the tips made will go towards the Christmas Cheer Fund. 

Also listen to our latest interview with Ohl updating the Christmas Cheer Fund’s efforts below