In yet another sign that the holiday season is quickly nearing, the Elgin Salvation Army Corps has kicked off its annual Red Kettle fundraising drive.
“As Christmas goes, so goes the Salvation Army,” said Rick Reigner, Elgin Salvation Army’s resource development director. “This is our major fundraising campaign.”
The goal this year is to bring in $240,000. Last year, Elgin’s five-person staff oversaw an effort that raised $194,000.
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With the money collected in the 2022 campaign, the Elgin nonprofit was able to fulfill 21,138 requests for assistance — 2,160 for emergency rent and utility funding, 4,670 bags of groceries, 14,749 Christmas gifts and 12,214 for essential supplies, such as baby formula, diapers, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items, Reigner said.
Because the campaign provides funding to run programs throughout the year, the 2023 effort is being called “Love Beyond Christmas.”
The agency is also promoting its Ring for Eight Feel Great program, in which volunteer teams and community partners pledge to ring bells at Red Kettle locations for eight hours on one day or four hours over two days.
Reigner said the hope is to have all shifts covered so bells will be ringing at 35 sites throughout the Elgin area between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays between Nov. 9 and Dec. 23. The Salvation Army doesn’t ring bells on Sundays.
Karas Restaurant Group owner Bob Karas said he is asking the employees at his businesses to volunteer as bell ringers. The restaurant chain includes Rookies Rochaus, Alexander’s Cafe, Rookies Sports Bar, Village Squire locations throughout Fox Valley and Old Republic Kitchen + Bar in Elgin.
It also sponsored the kickoff event for this year’s campaign.
“We love to give back to the community, and we have been associated with the Salvation Army for quite a few years doing the red buckets in our stores,” Karas said.
Karas also donated a billboard on Route 31 in Elgin to be used by the Salvation Army to promote Ring for Eight Feel Great. It includes an image of Karas dressed as Santa and ringing a bell.
In 2022, about 200 volunteers worked the kettles, which were manned for a collective 1,150 hours, Reigner said.
“We saw some growth in our number of bell ringers last year, but not nearly enough,” he said.
Salvation Army organizations across the country have struggled to find bell ringers, particularly after the pandemic, Reigner said. To fill the void, the nonprofit hires seasonal workers at up to $14 an hour but it’s tough to find people to work when so many are hiring during the holidays, he said.
To learn more about the Ring For Eight Feel Great program, go to ringfor8.org. To volunteer as a bell ringer, see registertoring.org. To make a donation to the Red Kettle campaign, go to centralusa.salvationarmy.org/elgin.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.