The Salvation Army is looking for bell ringers to help with its annual red kettle fundraising campaign. The red kettles and their bell ringers have become one of the familiar symbols of the season.
Major Keith Petrie of the Salvation Army in Des Moines says they’re always looking for men and women to keep the fundraiser going. Petrie says you need a desire to help others, but musical talent isn’t required — and you don’t have to perform “solo.” Petrie says they’re encouraging families to do it, as well as church and other groups too. He says “anybody can do it.”
Petrie says he’s seen people get very creative while ringing the bells — including one person who wrote ding-dong on two paddles and alternated raising them instead of actually ringing the bell.
Petrie says the money raised in the kettles does a lot of good in the communities served by the Salvation Army. He says they help out with rent assistance, energy assistance, deposits for appartments. Petries says they might give people gas money to get to work, or buy them steel toed work boots. Petrie says if you’d like to volunteer — call your local Salvation Army office — or go on-line to ringbells.org — there are several cities that use the site.