The Good News of Christmas campaign, sponsored by The Herald-Whig, is in its 32nd annual campaign of spreading holiday cheer to individuals and families in need.
More than $1.75 million, along with countless volunteer hours and services, has been donated to help more than 1,500 families get back on their feet since the campaign’s inception in 1988.
Families throughout The Herald-Whig’s circulation area in Illinois and Missouri are selected each year to receive aid by caseworkers familiar with their plights.
Several Herald-Whig employees suggested the Good News of Christmas idea in 1988, and it was the first such effort by the newspaper. Citizens, businesses, schools and organizations in West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri respond overwhelmingly each year, a demonstration of the region’s deep-rooted compassion and generosity.
In more recent years, The Herald-Whig has partnered with the United Way of Adams County in coordinating the project.
Quincy won the prestigious Governor’s Cup award in 1991, the state’s top award for volunteerism, for the generosity shown during the Good News campaign. The campaign won a community service award from the Illinois Press Association in 2014.