PEORIA ( 25News Now ) - An annual Pekin fundraiser saw a huge surge in community support this year to help families in need.

The Helping Hands organization, in partnership with the Pekin School District, identifies families needing extra support during the holidays.

Since 2012, they’ve provided assistance, and this year, 15 families with a total of 36 children were selected.

About 15 years ago, a trivia team at Pekin Moose Lodge 916 decided to use their winnings to invite less fortunate families to the Lodge for a Christmas party and buy them gifts. It grew into a fundraiser that included more than 100 raffle baskets and nearly 150 community members.

“It started with just a few families and over the years we’ve had help from local schools, and teachers at the schools, who have foun

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