“I should not be surprised, but I am pleasantly surprised.”

Elly Yoose of Yoder’s Rockville Bar reacts to the 2023 triumph of the annual Khristmas for Kids event held but the establishment earlier this month.

The event that she started with her late husband, Mick, back in 2009 continues to jump by leaps and bounds every year, as people and businesses come together to assist the Grant County Holiday Project.

That project, in its 48th year, helps more than 400 needy families, as well as more than 60 elderly residents during the giving season, giving them a package of household supplies, winter coats, and toys for children so they have something under the tree.

To help out with the Holiday Project, Khristmas for Kids was able to present a check for $50,133 for this year, surpassing last year’s haul by $5,000.

“It means something to know somebody else is going to have a decent Christmas,” Elly said.

“It has to plateau sometime,” son Ethan quipped about the fundraiser, bracing himself for the day it stops growing.

He knows it is bound to happen sometime, as people move on with their interests, but is very happy it hasn’t happened yet.

“It’s all about helping people,” Ethan continued.

Ethan quipped it doesn’t happen overnight, and for Ethan and Elly, efforts for the event basically start in the summer, with their pregame event, and continue on until the night of the main event in December.

Elly noted that Ethan is ‘the mastermind’ while she implements things, and one of Ethan’s ideas was to add a dunk tank to the summer event.

“People will come in heartbeat if they know their buddy is sitting up there,” Elly said, adding he also has come up with different packages, like nights out, as part of what is auctioned off on the big night.

They even have their own merch - they worked with Beknown Bills to offer Khristmas for Kids clothing. “We had an online store offering sweatshirts, crew sweatshirts, and long sleeve shirts.”

Just like everything else, all the proceeds from the sale of shirts goes to the Grant County Hioliday Project.

One thing that gets to Elly is reflecting back on all the people who have participated in volunteering to make the Khristmas for Kids a success. Elly remembered back to her husband and how hard he worked every year for the project.

There are the volunteers that are part of the Holiday Project. People like Sleepy Hauth, who passed a few years ago, and Ken Udelhofen, who passed earlier this year. Ken’s family was unable to make it to this first event that Ken could not participate in, but they said it was such a part of him, they they gave in his honor.

There also the people continuing to participate, like Janet Roesch and Peggy Sturmer.

Elly said she strives to be a good person in the cause, and help like those two role models.

Elly said that they had information boards at the event, first used in 2022, to show people exactly how their donations were being used.