One of the sounds of the Yuletide season will soon be heard in Iowa. The ringing of bells on street corners and outside of stores will mark the start of the Salvation Army’s annual fundraising campaign.
Susan Eustice, spokeswoman for the charity’s Omaha-Council Bluffs chapter, says their tree-lighting celebration will be held tonight and the tree itself is spectacular.
“It is 75 feet tall, has 80,000 LED lights and 600 snowflakes,” Eustice says. “It’ll all light up as a signal that the Tree of Lights and the Red Kettle campaign will begin.”
The Salvation Army is putting out an urgent call for help.
“We are in serious need of volunteer bell ringers in Omaha and Council Bluffs,” Eustice says. “To volunteer, it’s easy. Go online to RegisterToRing.com or call our volunteer office at 402-898-6000 and sign up.”
Chapters across Iowa are seeking volunteers and that same website can be used.
In Omaha-Council Bluffs, hundreds of helpers are needed to station themselves beside the red kettles.
“We have over 130 sites and we have seven weeks, and that’s six days a week, to ring that bell,” Eustice says. “We need families, we need business groups, church groups to come out, adopt a kettle for a day or two and help us reach our goal.”
The tree-lighting event starts at 6 P-M at 90th and Dodge Street in Omaha. There will be food, live entertainment, Santa and his reindeer. The kettles will remain out through December 23rd.
Thanks to Karla James, Omaha
