Clark County‘s giving heart and compassionate spirit was on full display Wednesday during Operation Happiness’ Day of Giving.

Volunteers from a host of organizations across the community got together to provide more than 1,100 new winter coats and boxes of food for those in need this holiday season.

Originally sponsored by the Clark County Association of Churches, Operation Happiness has grown into a massive annual event organized by Clark County Community Services and hosted by Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

It has grown to such a point that it is absolutely vital for so many families here.

Everything is coordinated by CCCS and all the items are collected by the organization in the months leading up to the event.

Every component of the operation — from the boxes the items are given out in all the way up to the hours volunteers spend organizing and passing out the care packages — are donated.

Several other organizations including the Clark County Public Schools, the Clark County Detention Center and Penske trucking company provide a variety of in-kind services that help make all this possible.

It is often easy to celebrate the end result of great events like this, while overlooking all the hard work it takes to make them go so smoothly. We applaud CCCS and everyone else who has a role in making this event so successful. Countless hours were spent behind the scenes.

Perhaps more than any other time of the year, projects like this around Christmas fill a critical need in our community. It is absolutely heartwarming to see so many people who understand this and are willing to rise to the challenge when it comes to making a difference.

That is truly Christmas magic.