Several Herald-Whig employees suggested the Good News of Christmas idea in 1988, and it was the first such effort by the newspaper. Citizens, businesses, schools and organizations in West-Central Illinois and Northeast Missouri respond overwhelmingly each year, a demonstration of the region’s deep-rooted compassion and generosity.
In more recent years, the United Way of Adams County is coordinating the project.
Quincy won the prestigious Governor’s Cup award in 1991, the state’s top award for volunteerism, for the generosity shown during the Good News campaign. The campaign won a community service award from the Illinois Press Association in 2014.