Plans have been made for the Salvation Army Austin Corps holiday kettle fund drive.

Friday, November 03, 2000

Plans have been made for the Salvation Army Austin Corps holiday kettle fund drive.

A meeting was held Thursday morning at the Salvation Army community center to launch the fund-raising effort.

"The kettle drive is largest fund-raising effort for the holidays by the Salvation Army," said Jim Middleton, who is coordinating the project. "It helps a lot of people and we need the help of a lot of bell ringers to make it work."

The drive officially begins November 24, the day after Thanksgiving.

"This year, we are featuring different incentives to make the fund drive more fun for the bell ringers and more successful," Middleton said.

Austin Mayor Bonnie Rietz and Mower County Board Chairman Ray Tucker have challenged each other to collect the most money during a shift of bellringing.

The prize: a dozen donuts.

Also, Mower County Sheriff Barry J. Simonson and Austin Police Chief Paul M. Philipp will square off in a bellringing duel for the needy at Christmastime.

"We hope other individuals and organizations or businesses also will want to participate in the challenges. All they have to do is call me at the Salvation Army and I will explain it to them," Middleton said.

This year, bellringers will be at ShopKo, Kmart, Target, OakPark Mall’s food court, Jim’s SuperValu, Sterling Drug Store, Hy-Vee Food Store and Cash Wise Foods.

"When volunteers come forward to be bellringers for the Salvation Army, they help us reduce our expenses at Christmastime," Middleton said. "If we don’t get enough volunteer bellringers, we have to hire people to do this."

Also Nov. 24, the Salvation Army’s Sharing Tree and Stocking Tree projects will be launched as well as the Tree of Lights fund-raising project.

Funds raised will help the Salvation Army fill food and gift baskets for the poor at Christmastime.

The Austin Corps is presently taking applications for Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets and other needs.

For more information about helping, call Middleton at 437-4566.