The Central Alabama Fair ended on Saturday, but a contribution made by the Lions Club and those who attended the fair will help put food on the table for a lot of people.

Fair week is always a fun time of the year in Selma. Children of all ages — and adults too — line up to play the miscellaneous games and get on the ferris wheel and other rides. But the fair isn’t all fun and games.

A lot of work is put on behind the scenes by the Lions Club and volunteers that make it all possible. It’s an event that includes the entire community. After all, who doesn’t enjoy the fair?

A few years ago, fair organizers came up with another way for the fair to make its mark on the community. Each year on Kids Day, children are able to get in for free if they bring a canned good item for the Christian Outreach Alliance.

This year the fair donated an estimated 2,000 pounds of canned food items to the alliance, which gives out about 250 bags to qualifying residents each week. Buddy Perkins, a member of the board of directors for the Christian Outreach Alliance, said the fair’s donation will equal to about one week’s worth of food.

Think about that.

Two thousand pounds of food equals to about a week of food at the alliance. That speaks to how large the need is here in Selma and Dallas County.

Although they may still seem far away, the holidays are right around the corner too. There are 46 days left until Thanksgiving and 77 until Christmas, meaning money is about to get tight for everyone. The Christian Outreach Alliance helps people on a daily basis, and those needs continue, if not grow, during the holidays.

A great way to give back this year would be to make a donation to the Christian Outreach Alliance or to a similar organization.

All you’d have to do is follow the fair’s lead.