When we set the lofty goal of raising $250,000 in this year's Warm The Children campaign, we knew it wouldn't be easy. Although the Ann Arbor area is a generous community, economic times are tough, and many are struggling.

To date, this year's campaign has raised $164,616. If we can hit our $250,000 goal, that will allow us to help nearly 3,000 local children.

As the main sponsor of the local Warm The Children program, AnnArbor.com absorbs the cost of the overhead needed to coordinate, promote and execute it throughout the year. The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation serves as fiscal sponsor, and United Bank & Trust processes all donations.

We have a full-time staff member who dedicates many hours of her time to the program, and we run many stories and advertisements on our site and in the print version of AnnArbor.com. Along with our Warm The Children volunteers in the community, many of our employees also donate or volunteer to help as shoppers.

But this year, we've decided to go one step further.

Today, we're launching a Warm The Children campaign using our Facebook page. For every new person who "likes" our Facebook page between today and Dec. 31, AnnArbor.com will donate $1 toward this year's Warm The Children fund. We're starting this challenge with 5,370 fans on Facebook, so any above and beyond that number will translate to dollars for Warm The Children.

How can you participate? First, make sure you "like" AnnArbor.com on Facebook. If you're signed in to Facebook, all you have to do is click the "like" button to the right. Or, you can go to Facebook.com/AnnArborcom and click the "like" button near the top of the page.

Then, tell all of your colleagues, friends and family who use Facebook to "like" our page, too.

You can still donate directly to Warm The Children, too. Since AnnArbor.com and its partners absorb all overheard costs, every dollar donated goes directly to buying coats, hats, boots and gloves for children in need. Here's how you can donate:

Thanks for your support of Warm The Children and happy holidays!

Stefanie Murray is the Real-time Engagement Officer for AnnArbor.com. Contact her at stefaniemurray@annarbor.com.