Salvation Army kicks-off Red Kettle Campaign
Published 10:21 am Saturday, November 14, 2015
Jewell Williamson, Liz Rutledge, Steve Welch, Mary Welch, Jana Garner and Henry Allen stand outside Selma City Hall during the Salvation Army’s Kettle Kickoff to its Red Kettle Campaign.
By Justin Fedich | The Selma Times-Journal
Bells were ringing and the trumpet was playing “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” as people gathered outside the Selma City Hall to kickoff the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.
Christmas is still over a month away, but the Salvation Army believes it’s never too early to get into the giving spirit.
Major Steve Welch said Red Kettle is the Salvation Army’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s really satisfying,” Welch said. “There’s a lot of happy parents when they come to pick up their angel gifts that may have been the only gifts their kids would have received that year.”
Last year, the Salvation Army raised $40,000. Welch hopes that total can be surpassed this year.
The money raised will be used help families in need with food, clothing, furniture, toys and any other items they might be needing. The donations also help provide gifts for residents of nursing homes and provide scholarships for summer camps. Finally, the Salvation Army is there to provide disaster relief for wherever there is a need.
While Welch said there are plenty of positives to donating to the Salvation Army, the reaction from a child opening a gift at Christmas makes the effort completely worth it.
“Just to see their faces,” Welch said. “They don’t even know where the gifts are coming from.”
This is the 125th year the Red Kettle fundraiser has been in existence and the 150th anniversary of the Salvation Army. Welch said these anniversaries fit in well with all the other historical landmarks Selma is celebrating this year.
Red Kettle is not the only fundraiser the Salvation Army has planned this month.
The Salvation Army will also be hosting Angels on the Air on Tuesday Nov. 24 with Dixie Country 100.1 and 98.5 (WDXX and WINL) and 1490 WHBB from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. in front of Welle Studio in downtown Selma.
Welch said the Salvation Army is still looking for volunteers. To sign up as a volunteer, call Chief Henry Allen at 407-8746. To donate, visit the Salvation Army office at 2104 Franklin Street.
