A Heartfelt Thanks to Everyone Who Helped Send Lots of Kids to Camp

I held my breath as we neared the end of this year's Send a Kid to Camp campaign. In a year full of economic gloom, with contributions to charitable groups down all over the country, would we be able to reach our goal of $500,000 to support Camp Moss Hollow?

I am enormously happy to announce that we were. When everything was added up yesterday, readers of The Washington Post had donated $530,218.57. In the last week alone, you donated $151,246.41, allowing us to easily get the $75,000 in matching funds that an anonymous donor had promised.

Clyde's, Washington's wonderful home-grown restaurant chain, came on board this year, giving a portion of the proceeds from different menu items every week. Washingtonians ate out at Clyde's and the Old Ebbitt Grill to the tune of $8,500 in donations.

To everyone who gave, I say thank you. The many notes of thanks I received with your donations -- thanking me for spearheading this annual campaign -- are nothing compared with the gratitude I owe you.

I'd also like to thank the staff and counselors at Camp Moss Hollow, who always make me welcome when I visit and make sure I don't leave hungry. Though it may frighten the children, next time I might even bring my bathing suit so I can see if the water in the pool is really as cold as everyone says it is.

And of course I want to thank all the campers who shared their stories with me. These are kids who may not be in the best of situations at home, but for a week at least they can run and splash and paddle and play like kids are meant to in the summer.

Send a Kid to Camp is a campaign of thousands of individuals writing checks or entering credit card numbers -- nearly 3,000 people donated this year -- but it's also a chance for groups to gather and give. Here are some of the groups that participated this year:

The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia: $100

Old Town Kensington Merchants Association: $350

Thrift Shop Guild of Christ Church, Georgetown: $500

Girl Scout Troop 1590: $140

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges: $230