We still have to tabulate the totals before we can give you an official dollar amount, but thank you so much for taking part in Strangercrombie 2009. I was worried going in that this year's Strangercrombie, in such tough economic times, would be a difficult one, but your generous bids have helped us keep pace with—and possibly even raise more money than—last year's auction.

Many thanks to this year's charities—Country Doctor, Urban Rest Stop, and Senior Services. They made compiling and editing Strangercrombie a real pleasure and a joy for me. Thanks also to Kelly O, who did such a fine job art-directing David Belisle's photo shoot, ultimately creating what I think is our best Strangercrombie photo series yet. Nancy Hartunian coordinated this 800-pound-gorilla of an auction into docile submission, and she never once lost her temper with me, and that alone earns my boundless thanks. Marty Griswold and our entire sales team did great work assembling the items in this year's catalog, the web team set up the Strangercrombie site and made it seem easy, and the editorial staff wrote up the catalog text eagerly, without complaint, and on or ahead of deadline. They're the best. But you know that already.

Big thanks, of course, to the businesses and creative folks who donated to Strangercrombie. I hope you'll give them your business in the weeks leading up to Christmas and all through 2010. It takes a lot of faith to give items to Strangercrombie—associating with The Stranger sometimes means your charitable donations could wind up on the same page as something like Jumping Pantsless Jesus—and they come through year after year.

But most of all, thanks to all of you. Every year, Stranger readers get together and form this massive money-making engine for worthy causes. I know we fight in the comments sometimes, and it's easy to forget that we're all part of a community. But once a year, you do something so good that it's undeniable—this is a community full of people who care. And it's a community I'm so proud to be a part of.

If you didn't get to bid yet, you can still donate to Strangercrombie and get a deck of Stranger playing cards for $20, all weekend long, and probably all through next week, right here.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

And to all a good night.