What started out as an idea among a group of friends to support families in need during the holidays has blossomed into a Niagara-wide season of giving.

A pay-it-forward initiative, launched more than 20 years ago, aims to continue to spread the joy of Christmas to more families by raising money through an online silent auction with items donated by local businesses and donations gathered from the community.

This year, organizers raised over $9,200 through the auction, which ran from Nov. 14 to 21, surpassing their $8,500 goal and raised another $3,000 in donations including toys and gift cards .

Greg Sentance, a youth counsellor with the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN), said the idea came from seeing students struggling during the holidays .

Sentance stressed “it’s all done on

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