Salvation Army kicks off kettle campaign

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Published: November 21, 2009

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Review Photo/GREG ZYLA Members of the Elmira and Sayre Salvation Army Corps attended the 2009 Kettle Kickoff held Friday afternoon at the Arnot Mall in Elmira. Pictured from left are advisory board members Joel Clawson, Bob Blauvelt, Captains Tim and Angela Shaffer, and advisory members Helen Harshbarger and Henry Farley. The event attracted a nice crowd, which was entertained by the Elmira area Salvation Army Band and accompanying choir.

The Sayre Salvation Army kicked off its Red Kettle Campaign with three other Southern Tier cities on Friday at the Arnot Mall in Elmira, N.Y.

Nationally, the Salvation Army's 2009 Red Kettle Christmas campaign will kick off with a halftime performance of Grammy-nominated rock band Daughtry at the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game, according to a press release from the Salvation Army.

The kettle campaign is "the oldest annual charitable fundraiser of its kind in the United States," the release stated, adding that money raised during the campaign, which runs through Christmas Eve, will be for "people in need in communities nationwide, providing toys for kids, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry and countless social service programs year-round."

"Thanksgiving is a time for great traditions, like watching the Cowboys' game, giving thanks for the blessings in your life and remembering those less fortunate," singer Chris Daughtry stated in the press release. "This year, the band will perform at the game during halftime and encourage people to generously support The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign, a fantastic charity that has a real impact on peoples' lives."

"The state of the economy has forced an increasing amount of people across the country to seek help from The Salvation Army," stated Major George Hood, National Community Relations and Development Secretary for The Salvation Army in the press release. "The continued public support of the Red Kettle campaign is a major reason why we are able to provide families with food, utility assistance, adult rehabilitation from alcohol and drug addiction, disaster relief and other services to more than 5,000 communities nationwide."

This is the 13th year the Thanksgiving Day game halftime show has launched the campaign, and in those 13 years, the campaign has raised more than $1 billion, as well as "helped the Army serve 30 million people each year nationwide," according to the press release.

The release continues:

"From its original beginnings as a fundraiser started by a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the most recognizable and important charitable campaigns in the United States. As part of the campaign, more than 25,000 Salvation Army volunteers spread throughout the country to ring bells daily and solicit spare change donations to the iconic red kettles from holiday shoppers. In 2008, the campaign raised more than $130 million nationwide, a new record supported by the public's nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars (and the occasional diamond ring or gold tooth) all collected and used to help people in the communities where they were raised. Last year, the funds helped The Salvation Army provide food, clothing, toys and other assistance to nearly 30 million Americans in need. In addition to physical kettles, donors can also contribute online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or through a virtual red kettle on any number of corporate or individual Web sites and Facebook pages."

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