Austin Mayor Bonnie Besse Rietz outdueled Mower County Board Chairman Ray Tucker in the first celebrity kettle drive challenge.

Tuesday, November 28, 2000

Austin Mayor Bonnie Besse Rietz outdueled Mower County Board Chairman Ray Tucker in the first celebrity kettle drive challenge.

The mayor and county commissioner squared off in the friendly competition for the Salvation Army Austin Corps on Friday.

The day after the Thanksgiving Day holiday is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year and Rietz and Tucker were there to test their generosity for the Salvation Army.

Rietz was a volunteer bellringer for a two-hour shift at OakPark Mall in Austin. Tucker rang the bell for the Salvation Army’s kettle drive at ShopKo that day.

After their shift concluded, Jim Middleton, property manager of the Austin Corps, tallied the donations. Rietz received $107 and Tucker received $67.

The next celebrity kettle drive challenge takes place Thursday, when Mower County Sheriff Barry Simonson and Austin Police Chief Paul Philipp challenge each other to collect the most contributions for the Salvation Army.

Simonson will be at OakPark Mall and Philipp will be at Hy-Vee Food Store. Each will work the 4 to 6 p.m. shift.

According to Middleton, more celebrity challenges are welcome during the holiday season as well as individual bellringing volunteers.

"We need volunteers at all of our eight bellringing sites as well as the angel tree at OakPark Mall and the stocking tree at Target. We hope people will respond," Middleton said.

For more information, call Middleton at 437-4566.