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Over the past two decades, the U.S. economy has experienced ups and downs, but the Mirror's annual Season of Sharing fundraising campaign has remained steady in its ability to raise money for a good cause.
That speaks well for this area's spirit of generosity, as well as for the individuals who have remained consistent givers through many or all of the campaigns conducted up to now.
Now, as people here begin looking forward to the year-end holidays, it's time to announce the recipient of the 2026 Season of Sharing effort.
The front page of the Mirror does that, and this editorial is intended to reinforce and provide encouragement for the "Sharing" fundraising that's to come.
However, this editorial has another purpose, and that purpose is to challenge -- challenge the consistent givers to step forward proudly once again, as well as a new "generation" of givers trying to make their impact felt this year and, hopefully, for years to come.
Season of Sharing is not a campaign in which a portion goes to the designated beneficiary while a sizable chunk of money raised goes to those conducting the campaign. Indeed, not so.
All of the money raised goes to the beneficiary -- this year to the Victory Therapeutic Horsemanship nonprofit organization of Tyrone that provides equine therapy to local veterans battling mental illness.
The Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation will be on board again to manage the funding effort and supervise the distribution of all money collected.
As this weekend's Mirror article points out, Victory Therapeutic is open to disabled veterans of all ranks and ages who might be dealing regularly with mental illnesses following their service to this country -- mental challenges such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
Such conditions are not uncommon for many veterans trying to adjust to life after the military, especially veterans whose service involved combat or working under consistently dangerous conditions where they might or might not have suffered serious wounds that threatened their survival.
In fact, Victory Therapeutic was founded by a combat veteran, John Zanella, a native of the state of Washington, who is certain that equine therapy saved his life about 20 years ago -- about the time the first Season of
Sharing campaign was conducted, on behalf of the U.S. Armed Forces Mothers.
Zanella, assisted by a friend and now deputy director, Rebecca Davidson, pursued the idea for a horseback riding program in 2014 and launched it officially in 2015.
As Davidson pointed out, the first major step of launching the program was to secure funding, because the program has no paid staff or personnel; any funds received go directly to the program, which Zanella heads as executive director.
Victory Therapeutic was a logical choice to be this year's recipient, although there were a number of other worthy nominees, perhaps some of which will benefit from future Season of Sharing fundraising campaigns.
As today's front-page article reports, Jodi Cessna, the community foundation's executive director, is one of this area's true believers in the value of Victory Therapeutic's program, knowing how wonderfully the program has helped many local veterans.
Now, people of this area have a great opportunity to show appreciation to Victory
Therapeutic by contributing to this year's Season of Sharing campaign.
Remember the old saying: No contribution will be too large or too small.