WILLIAMSVILLE, NY (WKBW) — ‘Tis the season for Salvation Army bell ringers across the community. It is the annual Red Kettle campaign that raises important dollars to help many services the organization provides to those in need.
’Tis the season for @SalArmyBuffalo bell ringers out in full force for #RedKettle campaign. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/bEPiVPYzQX
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) December 11, 2024
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley tells us how the Salvation Army continues to modernize its giving.
“You have a wonderful day. Merry Christmas!” a bell ringer declared.
Salvation Army bell ringers are out in full force with Red Kettles at about 30 locations throughout the area, like one inside the lobby of the Tops on Main and Union in Williamsville. It’s a fundraising event dating back to the late 1800s.
“How generous are Western New Yorkers when it comes to this campaign?” Buckley asked. “The most generous. We are in a community that cares about each other, the ‘City of Good Neighbors’ that extends throughout the county, and we are always blown away by the generosity of individuals,” replied Major Annette Lock, director of operations, Salvation Army in Erie County.
“Thank you so much for your donation,” responded the bell ringer.
"Hey, you can't beat the Salvation Army. There's no better organization than that,” remarked Frank Goettelman, Cheektowaga resident.
Generosity from people like Goettelman of Cheektowaga, who believes there's a ‘higher’ reason to give. He placed cash in the kettle.
"That means that the good Lord might bless me because my dad told me if I don't give money to one of these people with the red kettles, it's bad luck for an entire year,” Goettelman recalled.
But if you don't carry cash, you can use QR codes or Tip Tap with your smartphone.
"It's simple, it's very quick, and it's a safe way to be able to make a donation to the Salvation Army with a cell phone or a credit card,” Lock explained.
This year's goal is $362,000, but Major Lock says right now they’ve reached only about 62 percent of their goal and will end the campaign on December 24th.
Lock says one of the reasons the campaign is running behind is the “lack of manpower or woman power” with fewer bell rings. They are still asking for volunteers who could offer a few hours. ‘
Major Annette tells me that they find all kinds of unique donations inside the red kettles.
"Like a gold ring or a diamond or something, those are always very surprising. We find all kinds of things at kettles. Often people will kind of roll up lots of dollar bills, like we'll have a little stack of hundreds,” Lock described. “It just reminds us of how good people are and how generous that they would want to share that much of their resources with us.”
“You have a wonderful holiday!” the bell ringer declared.
