Now that the holidays are over, most folks have returned to work and the kids are back in school, there’s that point in time that many of us have come to dread: the accounting.

With Christmas bills already on their way — or even due, in some cases — the spending buzz has worn off for many people, and the credit card hangover is just beginning to set in. The reality of mid-January can be altogether more overwhelming than the rush that came along with December’s shopping spree.

But if you gave to the Cheer Fund this year, you have a reason even two weeks after Christmas to continue to feel good about it.

The Cheer Fund, the Suffolk News-Herald’s charitable drive to collect money to be used by the Suffolk Toys for Tots organization, has raised more than $35,000 this year, enabling Toys for Tots to buy and distribute toys to be used as Christmas gifts for 5,160 children in Suffolk and other portions of Western Tidewater this year.

As of Monday, the amount of money raised was almost exactly the same as what it had been in 2009. Though fundraising in both years fell short of the goal, there still was enough in the account to help fund an increase in the number of children served. And with the nation slowly pulling out of its long-term recession, there is reason to be optimistic about the prospects for fundraising during the next holiday season.

When it comes to helping children, folks in Suffolk prove over and over again that they can be counted upon.

Thank you, Suffolk, for your caring attitude, and thank you for your continuing support for the Cheer Fund. We are proud to be able to help in this important effort.