Salvation Army to kick off Red Kettle campaign

STEVENS POINT – The Salvation Army of Portage County will kick off its Red Kettle Campaign on Friday, this year with a few new twists.

The kick-off event will take place at 9:30 a.m. at Trig’s, with money raised through the campaign benefiting the Hope Center homeless shelter. The shelter provides emergency lodging to families with children, as well as single men and women, and it provides case management to assist the clients’ return to a fulfilling life.

The shelter also serves meals, which are open to anyone in the community, as well as the clients at the center.

The campaign has a goal of raising $130,000, said Bob Quam, Salvation Army of Portage County director of operations. About 350 people register as volunteers to ring bells each year, although many more typically show up, Quam said.

This year’s campaign will also include the first-ever Red Kettle Walk, a 10K, on Saturday morning. The walk will begin and end at Trig’s at 11 a.m. Saturday, with the route including K-Mart, Walgreen’s, Copps and Shopko.

No entry fee is required for the event, but The Salvation Army will accept donations at the red kettles throughout the walk. Participants are asked to arrive by 10:50 a.m. and can register and sign an event participation waiver form prior to the start of the event at Trig’s on Saturday morning.

Volunteers interested in ringing bells during the 2014 Red Kettle Campaign can sign up online at www.ringbells.org or call 715-341-2437. They may also register for a shift at the United Way of Portage County Volunteers Rock website. Bell ringing shifts are available Monday through Saturday from Nov. 14 through Dec. 24 at various locations throughout Stevens Point and Plover.

Volunteers who ring bells at Trig’s this year will be able to sit inside a shelter for protection from the weather.

“Sometimes winters get a little cold and brutal up here, so we’re trying one hut this first year,” Quam said. “That way, you can ring and you’ve got some shelter from the wind and cold.”

Quam said next year’s campaign may include additional huts if the trial works well at Trig’s.

Red kettle donations provide Christmas dinners, clothing and toys for families in need, according to The Salvation Army. Financial assistance also helps with basic necessities, along with seasonal aid. Many families receive aid over a period of months after the Christmas season, as well, including people struggling with difficult family, emotional or employment problems.

Sari Lesk can be reached at 715-345-2257. Follow her on Twitter as @Sari_Lesk.