APPLETON — The Fox Valley showed its support in a record-setting way for its students in this year's "Backpacks for Kids" Do It! Community Challenge.

With a last-week surge of $22,000, the campaign raised $40,000 in contributions, a final tally that surpasses the campaign’s goal by $10,000.

I’ve said it a million times before, but it bears repeating: The Fox Valley is a uniquely caring place,” said Dan Flannery, The P-C’s executive editor. “The kids who needed help got it from a community that cares. And the final week of contribution is nothing short of gratifying."

The 16th annual campaign, which helps provide basic school supplies to students who can’t afford them, kicked off July 24. It was scheduled to end Aug. 23, but it was extended through Aug. 30 to allow for more fundraising.

Community contributions during the campaign’s extended week, plus a grant from an anonymous donor within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and a final-push matching gift offer from J. J. Keller Foundation Inc. all helped the campaign exceed its goal.

J. J. Keller Foundation matched up to $10,000 of incoming donations during the final week of the campaign.

“The Keller Foundation is one of the brightest in a community of gems,” Flannery said. “They saw we were in jeopardy of falling short of our goal and stepped up to help us exceed the goal.”

Human service agencies in Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet and Waupaca counties identified in-need families with youth who can benefit from the campaign. This year, 2,680 students will receive the supplies, which include backpacks, pens, pencils, notebooks and folders.

Lynn Brenner, economic support manager at the Calumet County Department of Health and Human Services, said Calumet County clients received the supplies through two back-to-school efforts.

“The backpacks and the school supplies in them are a huge help,” Brenner said. “The kids are always absolutely thrilled to get them. Looking at the bills of back-to-school are quite daunting. (The campaign) allows them to start on an even playing field with everybody else."

JanSport in Greenville donated 650 backpacks to the campaign. School Specialty, also in Greenville, donated a portion of the supplies, and provided the rest at a reduced cost.

The Community Foundation assisted with the collection of monetary donations during the campaign.