By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
For the last several weeks, Volunteers across Northfield and Rice County have been busy ringing the bell for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. KYMN Radio had an opportunity to talk with Don Pavek, the Rice County Kettle Campaign Organizer out in the field:
“We’ve been collecting out of our major kettles at family fair and Cub close to $2000 a day. With the cold weather isn’t helping us any, but we’ve been doing well. Plus the counter kettles. We’ve had several locations this year that we’ve had to empty them already. In the past years We put them there at the start of the campaign and we haven’t needed to empty them.” – Don Pavek Rice County Salvation Army Red Kettle Organizer.
Pavek noted that there are 32 counter kettles around the Northfield area. Currently, the Culvers and Life21 Church kettles have been the most successful. The main Red Kettle locations in Northfield are Family Fare and Cub Food. There are also kettles at Fareway, Hy-Vee, and Walmart in Faribault.
Money raised through the Red Kettle Campaign primarily stays in Rice County, supporting programs that provide food, shelter, clothing, financial assistance, and various youth, seniors, and veterans services.
Dan Furry, a spokesman for the Salvation Army, noted the importance of the donations:
“The money you put in a Red Kettle in your hometown, your community stays in that community. So it doesn’t go off to some national clearing center. Demand for services remains high because people can’t afford to pay all their bills. I hate to think of a family who has to make a choice between buying food for their family or paying rent.” – Spokesman for the Salvation Army Dan Furry, Audio Courtesy of the Minnesota News Network
Furry also noted the importance of having volunteers bell ringing and that kettles without volunteers bring in significantly fewer donations.
“If there is a red kettle out and no bell ringer it raises nothing so… the key to a successful red kettle campaign are the dedicated volunteers who are willing to ring a bell for an hour or two” – Spokesman for the Salvation Army Dan Furry, Audio Courtesy of the Minnesota News Network
In Northfield, from now until Christmas Eve, all shifts for bell ringing have been filled by volunteers. There are a few shifts open still at all of the bell ringing locations in Faribault. Those interested in signing up can go to registertoring.com
