The teams of two — the Peppermint Parkers, the Christmas Crumbes, the Great Scotts and the Stocking Stuffer Stongers — competed to get the most money in five minutes as the Bloomington Brass Band played “Here Comes Santa Claus.” IU Athletics had a team as well.
It was the Dash for Cash at the Salvation Army of Monroe County’s Kettle Kick-Off, a gala to herald the beginning of the bell-ringing program that will start Nov. 13.
Every year, volunteers for the Salvation Army stand beside red kettles and ring bells to encourage passersby to drop money into the kettles. The funds collected through the program go to the social services the organization provides the next year.
“The money stays in Monroe County,” Community Relations and Development Director Peter Iversen said. “85 cents of every dollar goes to direct service.”
The Salvation Army plans to raise $100,000 this season through the bell-ringing program, and they will set up 22 red kettles around Bloomington, according to a press release. Only 10 percent of the needed volunteers have registered for a shift ringing bells, according to a press release. The program is in its ninth year in Bloomington.
At the Kettle Kick-Off on Tuesday, members of the community gathered to eat lunch and give money to the Salvation Army’s programs.
“We’re planning to raise $30,000 in one and a half hours,” Iversen said.
When the money was totalled, they had raised $34,820. The Welch Kettle Runners brought in the most during the Dash for Cash and pre-event fundraising, Iversen said.
Peggy Welch, half of the Welch Kettle team, is a member of the advisory board and volunteers as a bell-ringer at the mall.
She said she views the event as an opportunity to raise awareness as well as funds. As a bell-ringer, she said she’s noticed that people don’t contribute as much to the kettles because it is less common to carry cash.
“Every minute is important, because every penny is important,” Welch said. “It’s an organization that truly makes a difference in lives in our community.”
The Salvation Army also raises funds through a thrift store, which brought in $200,000 last year, Salvation Army Lt. Sharyn Tennyson said. The funds go to programs such as the Christmas giveaway, which provides presents to community members.
“It’s a blessing to see a child get a bike for the first time during Christmas giveaway,” Tennyson said.
In her address to the crowd at the Kettle Kick-Off, Tennyson said praying with a woman headed to cancer treatment and working with Pathway of Hope clients have been the most rewarding moments of the last year.
“To see this face of this single mom who achieved a goal, that was just it,” Tennyson said.
She said she wants to work on expanding the scope of the organization so it serves a larger portion of the Monroe County community while still remaining a place for people to come to feel secure.
“Together we serve our community as the hands and feet of Christ,” Tennyson said.
However, she said she doesn’t want past work to stop the group from expanding.
“I think we can go from doing it great to doing an exceptional job,” she said.
Those wishing to volunteer should sign up at registertoring.com.
